Belfast's Michael Conlan clinches place in Olympics
Last updated on .From the section Boxing
Belfast flyweight Michael Conlan has clinched his place at the 2012 Olympics by reaching the quarter-finals of the World Amateur Championships.
The 19-year-old beat number two seed Nordine Oubaali of France 20-17 in Tuesday's last 16 contest in Baku.
Conlan lost the first round 6-4 but was level at 11-11 after the second and finished well to take the third 9-6.
He faces European champion Andrew Selby for a medal on Wednesday.
"It was a good fight - he was a tough guy," said Conlan of the St John Bosco club in west Belfast.
"He was very fit and just kept coming. But I was just as fit and my workrate was really high. I just kept pushing."
Two other Irish boxers, middleweight Darren O'Neill and Cavan bantamweight John Joe Nevin, also won through to the quarter-finals in Azerbaijan on Tuesday.
However, 17-year-old light heavyweight Joe Ward, lightweight David Oliver Joyce and welterweight Roy Sheehan failed to qualify for London.
