It’s twin medals again for the McCormacks. But what colours will they bring home from the European Games?
The twin brothers, from Washington, will box in Friday’s semi-finals at the second-ever staging of these championships.
Luke and Pat both medalled at the 2017 European Championships, the 2018 Commonwealth Games and then last year’s European Union Championships in Spain, where both struck gold.
Sadly, for the Macs and Birtley ABC, their club-mates, Mark Dickinson and Calum French, did not make it through to the medal stages.
Middleweight Dickinson lost out to Michael Nevin, the in-form Irishman squeezing through on a split decision, three judges to two.
Lightweight French looked desperately unlucky in his quarter-final with Karen Tonakanyan, losing 3-2 to the fifth-seeded Armenian.
Luke and Pat are part of a magnificent seven British boxers through to the last four and all are guaranteed medals – in boxing, both losing semi-finalists pick up a bronze.
Seeded three at light-welterweight, Luke McCormack has the tricky prospect of tackling second seed Sofiane Oumiha.
It is a great opportunity for revenge for Luke who was eliminated by the Frenchman at the 2015 European Games in Baku.
McCormack (pictured) has come through both U64 kilo bouts in Minsk with split decisions, defeating Milan Fodor of Hungary before beating Yaroslav Khartsyz, from the Ukraine in the quarter-finals.
Pat McCormack has been simply irresistible in the welterweight section, where, surprise surprise, he is the top seed.
The 24-year-old has been busy – with so many boxers in the U69 division he already has three wins under his belt, all via unanimous decision.
Hungary’s Laszlo Kozak was the first to bite the dust, followed by Pavel Kamanin, from Estonia, and Monaco’s Hugo Micallef in the quarters.
Pat now faces fifth-seed Lorenzo Sotomayor, from Azerbaijan in the semis.
Only Russia can match Great Britain’s total of seven semi-finalists.
First in the ring will be flyweight, Galal Yafai, a 5-0 quarter-final winner over Dmytro Zamotayev (Ukraine), who has the unenviable task of facing number one seed, Daniel Asenov, from Bulgaria.
Peter McGrail, who has been in stunning touch at bantamweight, is up against Ireland’s number four seed, Kurt Walker.
Middleweight Lauren Price, who enjoyed a unanimous quarter-final points victory over Ireland’s Aoife O’Rourke, meets the unseeded Russian Sandakova Darima in her semi-final.
At light-heavy, second seed Benjamin Whittaker meets unseeded Armenian, Gor Nersesyan, while number one heavyweight,Cheavon Clarke, takes on Uladzislau Smiahlikau, one of only two semi-finalists from host nation, Belarus.
Words: Roy Kelly Picture: EUBCboxing.org
