Broadhurst: 'This is my last shot at the Olympics'

The European Elite Boxing Championships begin in Sofia, Bulgaria on Thursday with GB entering a strong team dotted with Commonwealth Games gold medallists.

Amy Broadhurst, a former World and European gold medallist for Ireland, will be part of the squad boxing for Britain.

Broadhurst, a key sparring partner for Katie Taylor for the Irish legend's first iconic victory over Amanda Serrano, switched from Ireland to Britain ahead of Paris 2024 as she sought to qualify for the Olympic Games.

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These European championships will be her first major championships since returning to competition after the birth of her baby boy.

"It's tough but we're making it work and I'm very lucky to have the support around me," Broadhurst told Sky Sports. "He's at the right age now where this is possible.

"He'll come to Bulgaria with me and he comes to Sheffield every second week with me," she continued. "Those weeks are tough because you're doing two jobs then.

"This is my last shot at the Olympics. So they know after this it's all said and done."

These Europeans will be a key step on a journey that she hopes will eventually take her to LA 2028. But her return to boxing has already been eventful. The first bout in her comeback earlier this year saw her drawn against her old team.

"My first fight back after two years was against Ireland. So that was a mad situation," she said.

"I was trying to control my feelings because obviously a lot of [stuff] went on with that whole situation.

"I knew going in that I was going to do okay. But there was just a lot of ill feelings on both behalfs. I think I handled it very well. I shook hands with the coach and I showed respect. That was probably the main thing, not to get sucked into the emotional part of it. It was get in, box and move on. It was like closing the chapter on something. We shook hands and then that's it."

She didn't box Ireland's top lightweight then but that could potentially happen in Sofia. Kellie Harrington, Ireland's two-time Olympic champion, has entered these Europeans.

"I was her sparring partner for the 2021 Games," Broadhurst said. "I was brought over to Tokyo.

"We've shared the ring many times and it would be a spicy fight.

"You could meet each other," Broadhurst noted. "You just don't know what's going to happen.

"I'll take it one fight at a time."