Irish lightweight boxer Sean McComb is through to the televised stages at the inaugural European Games in Baku after a unanimous points victory this morning.
The fighter from Holy Trinity in Belfast was given the nod by all three judges in his round-of-32 contest against Tymur Beliak of Ukraine at the Crystal Hall.
McComb was given all three rounds by the Turkish judge Yasar Cinar, but the other two judges from Ecuador and Korea did score at least one round the Ukrainian’s way.
The 22-year-old Irish champion had it scored his way 29-28 30-27 29-28, and in the last 16 will face talented Italian Donato Cosenza.
Caroline Ryan enjoyed a creditable 15th–place finish for Ireland in cycling’s individual time trial at Bilgah Beach.
Ryan, in completing the 26km distance in 35 minutes 29 seconds, was three minutes down on race winner Ellen van Dijk of the Netherlands, who had 37 seconds to spare over Ganna Solovei of Ukraine in second.
Bronze was claimed by another Dutch rider, Annemiek van Vleuten.
The men’s individual time trial over 52km has been underway from 9am Irish time and features Ryan Mullen for Ireland.
By the 38km mark, Mullen was lying in fifth place, 13 seconds outside the medals, with the leader at that point, Azerbaijan’s Elchin Asadov ninety seconds ahead of the 20-year-old from the An Post Chain Reaction team.
Chloe Aboud has been beaten in the preliminary round of the women’s taekwondo at the 67kg weight division, losing 14-6 to Swede Elin Johansson, also at the Crystal Hall.
Wrestling also provided an early-morning Irish defeat with Alexander Dolly being beaten 4-0 in the 86kg freestyle by Taimuraz Friev Naskidaeva of Spain.