Claire Grace devastated as cut ends her World Championships

Irish welterweight Claire Grace will not take any further part in the Women's World Boxing Championships in Jeju.

The DCU student sustained a deep cut over her left eye during her successful first round bout against Romania’s Christine Stancu, which required hospital treatment and stitches.

Management last night decided not to chance continuing for a number of reasons. Grace may have had to compete all week in a succession of fights and at 20-years-old they did not want to risk making the cut worse and having a weakness over one eye that may cause issues in future tournaments.

There was the additional consideration that she may not pass the daily medical examination that all competitors undertake each day at weigh-in before boxing.

The decision leaves just two Irish boxers in the draw, bantamweight, Michaela Walsh and defending champion lightweight Katie Taylor, who are both in the ring on Thursday morning.

“It’s very upsetting. I was delighted when I got the win and I had hopes of going through the week,” said Grace. “I knew straight away it was a deep cut. But it’s so early in the tournament that it might reopen and get worse. The coaches agreed that long term it was not worth taking the risk.

“It’s devastating to have won but now I can’t continue and deep down it is hard to take. If it was my own choice to make I would have gone on with it. I don’t know how many stitches they put in but I know it feels worse this morning than it was yesterday.

“Whatever about passing the medical today, I was never going to pass another one if I went in to fight.”

Grace had previously beaten the Turkish boxer who would have been her next opponent, Gulzar Kara.