The veteran boxers shined in the women’s finals at the 44th Gee Bee Tournament in Helsinki where Laura Myllymaeki, Wassila Lkhadiri, Zhaina Shekerbekova and Rosie Eccles all claimed gold medals.
Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Norway, Scotland, Sweden, Switzerland, United States of America and Wales were the participating countries in Helsinki. Among them, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Kazakhstan, Scotland, Sweden, United States of America and Wales earned at least one title in the Gee Bee.
The bout of the day
Netherlands’ Youth World Champion Maud Van der Toorn was near to qualify for the Paris Olympics but Los Angeles 2028 is in her full focus. The Dutch boxer had a very hard battle against her neighbour, Belgium’s Sarah Renders who exceeded all of the previous expectations. Van der Toorn used her jabs slightly better in the last decisive round and she won their 60kg semi-final by 3:2 split decision.
The surprise of the day
Scotland’s European Junior Champion Niamh Mitchell robbed into the level of the elite boxers only this year when she claimed the gold medal at the Bocskai Memorial Tournament. She eliminated a European Youth Champion, Italy’s Ginevra Muzzi in the semi-finals and she looked also unstoppable in the final of the 60kg against Netherlands’ Youth World Champion Maud Van der Toorn. The Dutch boxer is more experienced in the elite competitions but Mitchell found the best weapon against her in the first minute to earn the title in Helsinki.
The Round-Up
Finland’s Laura Myllymaeki eliminated Norway’s Francine Lukungu Ahadi on their re-match in the semi-finals of the women’s 48kg weight category. The 34-year-old Finnish boxer was not enough shape in the first round against Italy’s new surprise at the Gee Bee, Chiara Mosetti but she turned up the heat in the second. Myllymaeki was more effective after the first break and she bagged the gold medal of the first final in Helsinki.
France’s World Championships bronze medallist and the Paris Olympian Wassila Lkhadiri is another experienced female boxer at the Gee Bee Tournament who eliminated Scotland’s young Neely Brooke in confidence and she used the same tactics in the final of the 51kg. The French boxer delivered a top performance with perfect timing in the final women’s against Kazakhstan’s Anita Adisheva and she won their meeting unanimously.
Kazakhstan’s World silver medallist Zhaina Shekerbekova had hard job in the preliminary and the quarter-final stages at the Gee Bee Tournament but she was better and stronger rounds by rounds. The 37-year-old veteran had a hard tactical job in the final of the 54kg against United States’ development team member, Jayshannet Ramos Zapata and she earned the third title in Helsinki.
United States’ Deborah Grant stopped several of her opponents in the recent national competitions but the Gee Bee is her first ever competition in Europe. The six-times US National Champion not only controlled the first round of the final of the 57kg against Denmark’s Alice Bennedbaek but she counted her opponent twice. After the third count, the referee confirmed Grant’s RSC triumph and she will celebrate her 25th birthday with a gold medal in Helsinki.
The Dutch boxers are amazing in this Gee Bee Tournament and their Mahmoud Al Chabtoun was still fresh enough to use his attacking style of boxing against Scotland’s returning Nicholas Devlin in the final of the men’s 60kg. Al Chabtoun’s strong pressure paid off in the first and second rounds which guaranteed his gold medal in Helsinki which is his top achievement this year.
Netherlands’ next finalist, the U19 World Champion Aaliyah Hoppema was born in 2007 therefore this is her first elite year. She is relatively small at the women’s 65kg weight class but she has the fighting spirit and the powerful rhythm to beat Norway’s Madeleine Angelsen today. Hoppema bagged a bronze medal at the Bocskai Memorial last month which she switched into a valuable gold in Finland. Netherlands’ third gold medal was achieved by Finn Bos at the men’s 70kg weight class following his tactical success over Germany’s Randy Botikali.
France’s Mohamed Ounai achieved a silver medal at the Boxam Tournament earlier this year which he upgraded into a gold at the Gee Bee after beating Denmark’s Qalid Osman in the final of the men’s 65kg. The next French boxer, the European Youth Champion Maelys Richol enjoyed her return to the events but Wales’ Commonwealth Games winner veteran Rosie Eccles was slightly better at the women’s 70kg final today.
Nicolo Vettore was too smart for Switzerland’s Gabriel Huber in the men’s 75kg final bout which controlled by the Italian from the first seconds. The next Italian finalist, a next generation member, Christian Sarsilli achieved a silver medal at the 80kg following his loss to Germany’s Ramil Schafer.
France’s European U23 Champion Junior Tadah counted his Italian opponent, Marvin Ghilarducci in the first round of the 85kg final and the ringside doctor stopped their contest in the second. Sweden’s European U23 bronze medallist Elwin Belezika captured his nation’s lone gold medal in the Gee Bee where he landed the stronger punches than Scotland’s Robert McNulty at the 90kg.
United States’ Nnajai Wright is only 19-year-old but he is one of the most talented boxers at the super heavyweight and he opened the year with a gold medal at the Gee Bee Tournament. The US talent eliminated Denmark’s David Farah Bakhsh in the semi-finals and he outpointed Germany’s new National Champion Dilvan Yazgan in the last bout of the entire tournament.