Aoife O'Rourke had to come from behind to book her place at the Olympic Games following a split-decision victory over Elzbieta Wojcik in the middleweight semi-finals at the European Games in Poland.
O'Rouke started the fight on the front foot against her static opponent, who was cheered on by the home crowd, and perhaps her timing was off a touch as Wojcik was awarded what was a close round.
The Ireland fighter perhaps sensed that she would really have to impress to get win over the judges and went on the offensive in the second round with a really energetic display, while she was also getting her range against the tricky southpaw opponent.
Four of the judges awarded the round to the Roscommon fighter, and it all came down to the final round.
O'Rouke maintained the pace and aggression, and while there was a very scrappy element to the contest for those final three minutes, the Castlerea native did enough to convince three of the five judges, which led to a split-decision victory.
The Tokyo Olympian was thrilled to make a second Games, telling RTÉ Sport: "I’m absolutely over the moon.
"That was a tough tough battle. No matter how many times I meet that girl it’s a battle every time, and it was to the wire today, so fair play to her as well. I’m delighted it was my day though and I got the ticket. No doubt she’ll qualify later in the year."
O'Rourke now joins Kellie Harrington and Jack Marley in the finals of the Games, while all three can also look ahead to next summer's Olympics.
Harrington produced a dominant display to book her place in the final of the women's lightweight boxing division at the European Games.
Having already secured her spot at next summer's Olympic Games in Paris, some of the pressure was off for Harrington, who will now fight for a gold medal after her 5-0 victory over France's Estelle Mossely.
The Dublin fighter was the favourite going into the fight between the last two Olympic champions and immediately had her opponent under pressure.
From the first bell, Harrington was fighting on the front foot and the much more aggressive of the two, getting close to Mossely, throwing big one-two combinations and then dancing back out away from danger.
Harrington underlined her early dominance with a powerful flurry that rocked her opponent to end the round, the only surprise was that one of the five judges had given the round to Mossely.
There was no room for dissenting opinions in the second, with Harrington now totally in control. Showing great footwork, she fought with languid, low guard and proved impossible for Mossely to pin down. Mossely had no answer to Harrington's movement or hand speed and cut a frustrated figure as the round drew to a close, with the Irish fighter taking the round 10-9 on all five judges' cards.
Knowing that her place in the final was all but secure, barring a disastrous final round, Harrington was able to take her foot off the gas in the final round and switch to a more defensive style. The third was Mossely's best as she sought to chase down Harrington and produce a punch that would turn the bout, but the Irishwoman was far too wily to be caught and still did enough to take the round 10-9 on three of the five scorecards.
There was no tension or doubt about the outcome once the final bell went and as Harrington raised her hand in celebration, thoughts were already turning to Saturday evening's final.
"I felt good in there so I'm happy enough," she told RTÉ Sport. "I felt like I was the one dictating the fight.
"Estelle is the 2016 Olympic champion, 2016 world champion. [I was] nervous going in there but also felt excited but it's the best with the best. That always makes you perform a little bit better.
"She's going to up her game now for Paris because it's her home town.
"It's not about gold, silver or bronze, it's just about Olympic qualification and performing. Next year is the bigger picture."
Jack Marley will also fight for gold after a comeback semi-final win over Enmanuel Reyes Pla.
The split-decision 4-1 victory also means the Dubliner has qualified for the Olympic Games, the first Irish heavyweight to do so since Cathal O'Grady in 1996
The fight started at a furious pace as Marley pressed his opponent, landing some hooks but also being caught on the counter. The Irishman got through with some clean jabs and a fine combination as the first round progressed but four of the judges gave the round to Reyes Pla.
Marley continued to come forward in the second round and trapped the Cuban native, who is now a Spanish citizen, on the ropes several times, landing some punishing body shots as his rival found it harder to slip the punches. This one was scored 4-1 to Marley, setting up a crucial deciding stanza.
Knowing he now had to do more, Reyes Pla started to advance for the first time in the fight and had some success early in the round. Both men looked to be tiring but Marley landed a series of combinations in the final 45 seconds and celebrated at the final bell sure he had clinched a place in the final.
The judges agreed, giving him the nod 4-1: 29-28, 29-28, 28-29, 29-28, 30-27.
"I'm absolutely speechless," Marley told RTÉ Sport.
"I can't believe it, it was a big mental strain today, everything was going through the head. Unlike everyone else I had to get the bronze first, then qualify, it was just another obstacle in my head that I had to get past, it was tough but we’re here now and I can’t believe it’.
"I enjoyed that right to the final minute, I was smiling the whole way through it. The first round I came out strong because I knew he’d tire, but I ended up losing the first round, that’s alright though, I think our other two fights I lost the first round too but I don’t mind that. I had to go chasing it but it was worth it.
"He’s a very technical boxer so I knew if I let him get a distance and get his running going, that was two minutes gone, so I knew I had to go out straight away, I couldn’t let him get his tempo."
Dean Clancy exited the lightweight event at the semi-final stage after a unanimous defeat to Sofiane Oumiha of France.
Oumiha has been marked out as a genuine medal hope for France at next year’s Games and proved too much for Clancy to handle today, winning all three rounds on all five judge’s cards.
The Frenchman had the better of a cagey opening round, moving more freely and pressing the issue as Clancy struggled to find his range.
With Oumiha controlling the tempo of the fight, Clancy looked to change things up in the second round, showing a more aggressive approach and swinging with some big haymakers, but he was unable to connect with any telling blows.
The Frenchman proved to be evasive and difficult for Clancy to catch and while he did manage to land with a powerful flurry midway through the second, forcing his opponent back on the ropes, Oumiha landed a big combination towards the end of the round and again convinced the judges.
Clancy needed a knockdown in the final round to change the course of the fight but it was Oumiha who finished the stronger, landing in twos and threes and finding more and more gaps in Clancy's defence.
The decision when it came was expected but Clancy will not be too downbeat, having already secured Olympic qualification, where he may yet face Oumiha again.
Clancy was upbeat despite the defeat, saying afterwards: "I came in here, I got three good wins against good lads, qualified for the Olympics, I'm only 21. I’ve a long stretch now between now and the Olympic Games, I’m going to see where I went wrong after this and assess it and see what I can change up.
"It’s going to take a while, but I feel like I’m a good learner, and I always watch over my fights to see where I went wrong. Between now and the Olympics, I feel like I’m going to be a different boxer. I’ve qualified, and I’m going to focus on that, and focus on myself, and develop it right. I’ll be in the best possible shape for them."
Michaela Walsh also bowed out at the semi-final stage, losing her featherweight contest to France professional Amina Zidani by split decision.
Walsh appeared to be taking the fight to her opponent in the first round, however, the referee had to intervene to tell both to box in the cagey opening round.
With little thrown or landing between them, four of the judges opted to give the round to Zidani.
A bit more action in the second stanza with Walsh again leading with a strong left jab as Zidani fought on the back foot, shaping to strike, but again there was little to call between the two.
Another 4:1 round to Zidani, and Ireland coach Zaur Antia appeared bemused as the score was relayed to him in between rounds, shaking his head as his fighter was left with a mountain to climb in the final round.
Walsh did go on the attack as Zidani was happy to evade in the final round, and while Walsh was landing, she was also taking shots from the defence-minded France fighter.
One judge scored the contest to Walsh 29-28, however, there were four in favour of Zidani, who progresses to the final.
Walsh leaves Poland with a bronze medal and, more importantly, a ticket to the Paris Olympics, earned for reaching the last four of the competition.
"Unfortunately for me today was her day," she said. "I've fought her before, I’ve beaten her before – that’s boxing for you. I think at the top level it’s nip and tuck between whoever is going to come out on top, and listen I could easily have got my hand raised in there as well so I just have to keep the positives from it, and go back to drawing board."
"The most important thing coming here was qualifying for the Olympic Games. I don’t really see it like that now because I’m only after losing but when I go back and I take everything into consideration I can be proud of my achievement. I think I’ve earned a well-deserved rest."
Five of Ireland's kickboxers also secured medals today.
Reigning senior world and European champion Jodie Brown was a decisive 12-2 winner over Croatia's Lara Mihalic in the 70kg point-fighting class.
Birthday girl Amy Wall beat Dutch opponent Francesca Prescimone 3-0 in her 60kg full-contact quarter-final.
Conor McGlinchey won his point-fighting 84kg quarterfinal against Slovenia's Erik Zorn 19-8 while Nathan Tait got a bye to the semis in 74kg point-fighting.
Nicole Bannon lost her point-fighting 60kg quarter-final to Hungary's Andrea Busa but bounced back to beat Greece's Martha Nystazouin 3-0 in the light-contact category and secure at least bronze.
Luke McCann, Eoin Glynn, Peter Carr and Tony Stephenson were all defeated in their quarter-final bouts.
The Irish team of Liam Jegou, Jake Cochrane and Robert Hendrick finished tenth in the men’s canoe slalom final.
The trio had all raced in the individual event earlier in the day, Jegou and Cochrane progressing through to the semi-finals on Sunday, as did team-mate Michaela Corcoran in the women’s event.
In badminton, Ireland’s mixed doubles pairing of Joshua Magee and Moya Ryan lost their quarter-final to Dutch opposition. Last night, Magee and Paul Reynolds went out of the men's doubles to the Danish top-seeds in their last-eight encounter.
Shooter Aoife Gormally ended her European Games with an 18th-place finish in the trap qualification. Only the top eight advanced to the final.
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