Jon McConnell and Michaela Walsh secure European medals as Jude Gallagher advances

Jon McConnell and Michaela Walsh guaranteed European Championships medals while Jude Gallagher reached the lightweight quarter-finals on a winning Monday for the Northern Ireland trio, the Belfast Telegraph reported.

Jon McConnell and Michaela Walsh secured at least bronze at the European Boxing Championships in Bulgaria on Monday, while Jude Gallagher moved into the lightweight quarter-finals, the Belfast Telegraph reported.

McConnell earned Ireland's first medal of the championships with a 3-2 victory over Italy's Gabriele Guidi Rontani in the 75kg division on Monday evening. Rontani had a point deducted for use of the head during the contest.

The Belfast boxer will face Azerbaijan's Nabi Isgandarov in the semi-finals. McConnell said Gallagher's earlier victory had given him a lift before his own bout.

Walsh won all five judges' scorecards against Montenegro's Bojana Gojkovic at 57kg. Her next opponent is Bulgaria's Stanimira Petrova, who will have home support.

Gallagher's route through required a change of approach against France's Lounes Hamraoi. The Co Tyrone boxer lost the opening round on four judges' cards after struggling to impose himself against the counter-punching southpaw.

He took the initiative in the second round, hurting Hamraoi with a body shot, before delivering a third-round knockout. Gallagher will now meet Cuban-born Spaniard Ewart Andres Marin Hernandez as he pursues his first European medal.

Elsewhere on Monday, Dublin's Kellie McLoughlin lost 4-1 to France's Sthelyne Grosy.