Boxing: Eric Donovan and Kenneth Egan failed in their bids to join Paddy Barnes in qualifying for next year's Olympics Games in Beijing after failing to reach the last eight at the World Amateur Championships in Chicago late last night.
Donovan, from the St Michael's club in Athy was beaten by Italian Domenico Valentino in their 60kg bout. Valentino received a public warning for holding in the fourth and final round as the St Michael's Athy man threw caution to the wind.
But despite putting his opponent under enormous pressure the Italian held out to record a 29-12 victory.
And Egan was outpointed by Croatian Marijo Sivolija in their light-heavyweight clash. Both will have to attend the next qualifying tournament to make another bid to secure an Olympic place.
Barnes secured Olympic qualification earlier in the evening with a commanding 24-6 win over Japan's Kenji Ohkubo at the University of Illinois.
Barnes will meet reigning World and Asian champion Shiming Zou in the quarter-finals today and can add at least a bronze medal to his Olympic ticket with a victory.