Shannon Sweeney crowned European champion in Belgrade

Shannon Sweeney was crowned European champion following a gruelling final bout against Zlatislava Gena Chukanova in Belgrade.

The Westport boxer was drawn into a war of attrition against her ultra aggressive opponent, however, she maintained her discipline throughout to take the contest by way of a split decision.

Fighting in the 50kg light flyweight division, Sweeney began the bout happy to box on the outside, looking to pick her punches, however, her Bulgarian opponent kept real pressure on throughout the opening three minutes.

Amidst the madness, Chukanova managed to land a big right near the end of the round, which may have swung the round for some undecided judges – Sweeney only got the verdict from two of the five ringside.

The spoiling tactics continued in the second round and the referee did little to help Sweeney as the Bulgarian grabbed and grappled, while the Irish boxer proved more cautious with her approach looking to land the quality shots.

And the tactics worked for Sweeney who was awarded the second round 4:1 by the judges, which put her marginally ahead going into the final round.

Sweeney was caught early in another ugly round of boxing, however, Chukanova's energy levels dipped and she was frustrated that Sweeney gave her little chance to score.

In the end, it proved enough for Sweeney, who secured the gold medal thanks to a 4:1 decision from the judges.