Joe Joyce powers to gold in the ring, while 17-year-old Luke Greenbank sets a new world junior record on his way to winning 200m backstroke gold. Here’s our review of day 14 at the European Games.
Team GB have now won 40 medals in Baku; 16 gold, eight silver and 16 bronze
Joyce jumps for joy after gold
Super-heavyweight Joe Joyce admitted he had to go all-out attack to ensure he would be leaving Baku with a European Games gold medal.
The 29-year-old was trailing on points following the first round of his final against Russia’s Gasan Gimbatov, but came back to win Team GB’s fifth boxing medal of these Games.
He said: “I went at it but I had to. I’m here to win and I’ll do that by any means possible.
“It’s brilliant, I’m over the moon.
“This has been such a good experience and a brilliant atmosphere. This is definitely up there with the Commonwealth Games.”
New world junior record as Greenbank leads medal charge
Luke Greenbank set a new world record and won two medals as Team GB enjoyed another triumphant day in the pool.
In the 200m backstroke final the 17-year-old stopped the clock at 1:56.89, a new world junior record, and then returned as part of the mixed 4x100m medley relay to win silver.
Greenbank said: “I had good heats yesterday, so that gave me a bit of confidence. I wanted to try and dip under 1:57, but actually doing it is so much better, I’m really pleased.
“It was brilliant, I didn’t know what to do with myself when I saw the time. I am just so happy I won it.”
Amelia Clynes was another double medal winner, following up her silver in the 100m butterfly final to line-up alongside Greenbank, Charlie Attwood and Georgia Coates in the relay team.
Joining Clynes on the podium was Laura Stephens, who shared bronze with Greece’s Ilektra Varvara Lebl as both clocked 1:00.54 – a new personal best for the Team GB athlete.
Kelly confident of Olympic spot
Welterweight Josh Kelly is certain he will box at the Olympic Games in Rio next summer after his European Games competition ended with a bronze medal.
The 21-year-old beat former European champion Mahamed Nurudzinau and Ireland’s Adam Nolan en route to his semi-final points defeat to home boxer Parviz Baghirov.
He said: “Hopefully now I’ll come back and do better in the Europeans and get to Rio. I’ll get there – put your bets on now – I’ll be there.
“I’ll take the experience. I’ve boxed three really good lads and thought I did well in all the bouts. I’ve boxed two Olympians and against a massive crowd versus an Azerbaijani, so it’s good experience.”
Conway upbeat despite defeat
Sally Conway has vowed to bounce back quickly from her European Games exit as she chases qualification for next summer’s Olympic Games in Rio.
The London 2012 competitor was denied the chance to fight for bronze in Baku following her defeat in the repechage to Youth Olympic champion Szabina Gercsakof Hungary.
She said: “I’ve never fought the Hungarian girl before, I was hoping to beat her, I believed I could, but today wasn’t my day.
“I did feel prepared and ready to go, but this is judo and these things happen. I will just take what I can for this and move on.”
In the women’s -63kg competition both Gemma Howell and Alice Schlesinger suffered defeat in the round of 16 to Mia Hermansson of Sweden and Portugal’s Ana Cachola respectively.
Megan Fletcher, fighting in the -70kg category, lost her round of 32 fight against last year’s World bronze medallist Katarzyna Klys of Poland and -81kg competitor Owen Livesey was beaten at the same stage by Portugal’s Carlos Luz.
© Sportsbeat 2015