Road to Tokyo 2020 - Irish Olympic News

the GAA example is off

Its a team sport where physical contact is very prevalent, hence 12 years v 16 years becomes a health and safety issue..

Gymnastics and swimming, for example is you against the clock/judges. Your opponent is not physically engaging you..

Plenty examples where 14/15/16 year olds beat/outperform older competitors in sports like gymnastics..females!

You won’t see that in GAA/soccer/rugby/boxing/tennis. A team of 12/13/14 year olds won’t beat teams of 15/16/17 year olds. All down to the physical maturity being a clear factor in a physically engaging sport

Needs real consistency. She scraped through today..

I think mental pressure should be a factor as well though. We believe and have ruled that voting, smoking, drinking and sex are all too much and too big a decision for a 14 year olds mind despite the body being as physically capable as an 18 year old so why is the huge mental pressure of the Olympics ok.

But as I pointed out out society does label them all the same. They are all "underage" for certain things and winning a medal at 14 doesn't mean you are ready for the pressure that comes after

That's a fair point about the medals. Winning (or losing) an Olympic medal at age 12 or 14 could certainly put a lot of pressure on them. It might not be the actual competition that is the problem but the associated stuff before and after.

Throughout history.... are we going there???

As well as the Olympics, the ancient Greeks had some ideas around paedophilia and pederasty that would not sit too well with modern society, so I don't suggest we go there to be honest!

It's just wrong IMHO, just because they can doesn't mean they should.

RTE showed a fair bit of R1 last night so presume they'll be doing the same tonight. NBC golf channel obviously showing it too if you have access.

That's a rematch of their 2018 world final which Kellie won of course but only after an epic encounter that could easily have gone either way. Tough fight but I'd say she's a better and more confident boxer now she has so much more experience behind her and hopefully good enough.

Thought she landed plenty the other day tbh, looked very good. Have every faith in her anyway. See Potkonen in the other sf, 40 years young! That would be a good final if it happened. One step at a time though!

Twice warned to box. Brutal..

Kellie through. Was close. Split 3/2

Needs far more actual action to assure a win..

But we’ll take it. It’s a gold medal match..

She will need a lot more actual fight and action if she wants to take gold..

I know it’s her style, but a boxer has to be able to mix it up. She can’t cross fingers and hope.. More engaging and punching and throwing in the final

Brazilian winning this handy. Good punching display. Kellie has better feet.

Plenty 1-2s and movement will be effective against the Brazilian. Kellie sits back and hopes to peck and poke to a win, and she will lose..

Definitely a fight she can compete in, but needs to make it happen

That’s all well and good if you keep winning

But you need to be a little more assured. That was a 3/2 that easily could have swung the other way..

Nobody is saying be reckless and brawl, but you can be more offensively engaged, committed and intense.

You need to win these fights. Not just compete and then hope the judges award you the fight.

When a referee is warning you (both them) 2/3 times to engage, you should realize that to win this fight, you need more.