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Irish boxer Michael O'Reilly keen to change bronze to gold

Irish boxer Michael O'Reilly says that he is keen to change the colour of his medal from bronze to gold after booking a semi-final spot at the European Games in Baku.

Ireland middleweight Michael O'Reilly has revealed that he has no intention of settling for bronze after booking a semi-final bout at the European Games today.

The 22-year-old guaranteed himself a podium finish with a dominant showing against Slovenia's Aljaz Venko in Baku this morning, winning the match 3-0.

It was a relentless final-round display that saw O'Reilly flash his gold-medal credentials, and the youngster, who aims to reach next summer's Olympics in Rio, wants to go all the way in Azerbaijan first.

"I'm happy but not satisfied. I want to go all the way," he told reporters. "That's what I came for. I hope I can change the colour of that medal over the next few days."

"Winning a medal here means I have now qualified for the world championships [in Doha in October].

"That gives me a chance to qualify for the Rio Olympics. That's the dream for me."

He will meet Russia's Maxim Koptyakov in the next stage on Friday.

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Shane Callaghan
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Michael O'Reilly of Ireland (blue) competes in the Men's Boxing Middleweight (75kg) Quarter Final during day twelve of the Baku 2015 European Games at the Crystal Hall on June 24, 2015
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