Ballyforan kickboxer keeps winning streak going with gold in Budapest
They say winning is a habit, and it’s a habit South Roscommon kickboxer Gary McDonnell has certainly picked up in recent years.
The 30-year-old from Ballyforan returned home last weekend with another gold medal from an international tournament after he came out on top at 60kg in the Hungarian World Cup in Budapest.
It was his fourth success in a row at an international event, including wins at the Austrian Classics WAKO World Cup in Innsbruck, Austria, in March, and at the WAKO European Championships in Turkey last November.
The recent event in Budapest took place from June 15-18, and Gary was in a group with kickboxers from Turkey, Turkmenistan, Poland, Slovakia and Norway.
As the two top-seeded fighters, Gary and Norway’s Henry MacPherson went straight into the semi-finals, and it was there the local man faced Pygy Sylabov of Turkmenistan.
“There was a bit of drama in that one because, going into the last round, I was five points down. I managed to pull it back, and ended up winning by three points,” explained Gary.
“I then faced Henry MacPherson in the final, which was a repeat of my previous final in Austria. I ended up winning well. I gave him a standing count and nearly finished the fight.”
In between the international events, Gary had his first fight on home soil in more than three years when he defeated Troy Gannon on a WAKO (World Association of Kickboxing Organisations) professional show in Dublin in April.
He attributed his recent form to the quality of his training and preparation. “I’m doing all the little things right. I’m not slacking, not cutting any corners, eating right, sleeping right... doing everything you have to do to compete at that high level,” he said.
Next month, Gary is planning to travel to Finland for an international training camp which is being hosted by the Finnish national team, and this will be followed with a contest in Birmingham on August 5.
He also has sights set on the WAKO world championships which will be taking place in Coimbra, Portugal, in November.