Jude’s gunning for Olympic spot in Italy

JUDE Gallagher will get his Olympic qualification quest underway this weekend in Italy.

The Newtownstewart man is currently in Busto Arsizio where the first World Qualification Tournament for Paris 2024 takes place from tomorrow to 11th.

The reigning Irish 57kg champion, who missed out on a place at the Tokyo Games in 2020, which was postponed due to Covid-19 until the following year, due to a growth spurt that meant he was unable to fight at 52kg, admits it would be a dream come true if he books his place in Paris this coming Sunday.

And while he’s keen to achieve that goal, the Two Castles Boxing Club man is a philosophical soul who admits he won’t be losing much sleep if that doesn’t happen.

“Whatever will be, will be, that’s how I’m looking at it,” he explained. “Whatever happens, it’s not the end of the world. Everything will go on but it’s something I really want to achieve, to get qualified for these Games because it has been a dream of mine, a goal since I started boxing.

“So to achieve it would be something else, it would be some story, it would be unreal. Sometimes when I think about it it would be unbelievable, it would be brilliant.”

Having won Commonwealth Games gold in Birmingham 2022, Gallagher will be seen as one of the favourites to qualify, but the same was true at the European Games in Poland last year where an unfavourable draw left him out at the first round stage.

In Krakow he met Bulgaria’s Cuban import Javier Ibanez Diaz at the first stage of the competition, losing on a split decision to the man who went on to win the European title and claim a place at the Paris Olympics.

With that in mind, Gallagher knows luck will play a part in his qualification bid, which will be successful if he reaches the semi-finals.

“I’m capable of beating anyone but you need a bit if luck on your side.,” he added. “At the European Games I came up against the Bulgarian who went on to win it. He only beat me on a split, so if the draw had been different I could be qualified and all!

“The draw is the big thing. You get a good draw to get a couple of good fights to get you going and then you don’t mind who you get then.”

As important as the draw is to Gallagher, he won’t be looking too closely at it, preferring to take a one fight at a time approach that has served him well in the past.

“I don’t really focus too much on the draw, though. I only really look at my first opponent because I don’t really care, I believe I can beat anyone,” he explained.

“I don’t look too far ahead, just one at a time because if you don’t win your first fight it doesn’t matter who is or could be next.

“I’ve always looked at it that way, ever since I was young. I’ve always only looked at one fight at a time but I know lads who look at a draw and think about who they could fight after the beat their opponent and it works for some people but if I was to do it it wouldn’t work for me.

“I only focus on my next opponent and then I worry about finding out who’s next after that. It’s what I’ve always done and it works.”

Regardless of the draw, Gallagher is confident that, after spending two weeks at a tough training camp in Italy, he’s in the right condition to achieve his ultimate goal.

“I’m in great shape, I’m feeling good, very good,” he beamed. “We had a good sparring camp out there with 25 other countries and I sparred a couple of boys who I could come up against out there.

“It’s good to get in, get a feel and at least you know what you’re getting in against if you do come up against them. It means you do try to hold back a little bit but when you’re in the ring and things get heated that goes out the window a little bit because your ego takes over!”