Boxer Michael O'Reilly celebrates with his gold medal in Baku in June Ryan Byrne / INPHO
Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO
Event: 75 kg (middleweight) boxing.
Who is he? O’Reilly is a 23 year-old who began boxing in 2002, has claimed three senior national titles, won gold at the Baku European Games last year and a bronze at the World Championships in Doha last October.
Where’s he from? O’Reilly is a Midlander. His home town is Portlaoise, Co. Laois with Portlaoise BC his club.
Olympic CV: Rio will mark the first steps that O’Reilly has taken in the Olympics
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Road to Rio: It hasn’t been straightforward for O’Reilly. Last October he was controversially adjudged to have lost his Olympic box-off in Doha to Egypt’s Hossam Hussein Abdin.
Then O’Reilly suffered a shock defeat at the European Olympic qualifiers in Samsun in Turkey back in April. He lost out to Finland’s Ilari Kijala at the opening hurdle.
But in June, O’Reilly bounced back with his quarter-final victory over Azerbaijan’s Shinebayor Narmandakh at the World Olympic qualifiers in Baku, ensuring he is on the plane to Brazil.
When does he start? Monday 8 August is the day of reckoning for O’Reilly with the middleweight preliminaries starting at 3pm (Irish time).
Where can I follow him? Check him out on Twitter at @michaeloreillyb
Meet Ireland's Olympic team: Michael O'Reilly
Event: 75 kg (middleweight) boxing.
Who is he? O’Reilly is a 23 year-old who began boxing in 2002, has claimed three senior national titles, won gold at the Baku European Games last year and a bronze at the World Championships in Doha last October.
Where’s he from? O’Reilly is a Midlander. His home town is Portlaoise, Co. Laois with Portlaoise BC his club.
Olympic CV: Rio will mark the first steps that O’Reilly has taken in the Olympics
Road to Rio: It hasn’t been straightforward for O’Reilly. Last October he was controversially adjudged to have lost his Olympic box-off in Doha to Egypt’s Hossam Hussein Abdin.
Then O’Reilly suffered a shock defeat at the European Olympic qualifiers in Samsun in Turkey back in April. He lost out to Finland’s Ilari Kijala at the opening hurdle.
But in June, O’Reilly bounced back with his quarter-final victory over Azerbaijan’s Shinebayor Narmandakh at the World Olympic qualifiers in Baku, ensuring he is on the plane to Brazil.
When does he start? Monday 8 August is the day of reckoning for O’Reilly with the middleweight preliminaries starting at 3pm (Irish time).
Where can I follow him? Check him out on Twitter at @michaeloreillyb
Medal chances? With his recent record at European and World level, O’Reilly has a big chance of delivering success in Rio.
And here’s something you probably didn’t know… He may be a Portlaoise man but Tipperary can claim a link to O’Reilly as he was born in Clonmel.
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2016 Olympic Games Boxing Michael O'Reilly Rio 2016 The Jerries