Irish featherweight boxer Michaela Walsh has admitted she felt a sense of relief when she qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The Belfast boxer booked her place in her second successive Olympics after winning a bronze medal in the European games in Poland, in what was a successful tournament for Ireland.
In 2021, qualification came just before the Olympics for Walsh, which was delayed due to Covid-19. Speaking to BreakingNews.ie, Walsh admitted the thought of Olympic qualification was the main priority in the European games.
"It's amazing, it's relief in a way to have it done early. When I qualified for Tokyo, we were off straight away to Nagasaki for a training camp and then to Tokyo, so it felt kind of rushed.
"Now, I can just focus on getting better. I want to improve on every area of my boxing, so to have a year of improving and getting better on what I need to work on without worrying about qualifying, it's just a big relief.
"I was trying not to put pressure on myself, if it was meant to be, it will be. There's going to be another opportunity to qualify next year. I wasn't focused on medals, I was solely focused on qualifying and performing to the best of my ability.
"I did all the little things right in the build up, I had a great training camp. If it was meant to be, it was meant to be, and at that time, it was meant to be."
Michaela was one of three female boxers to book her ticket to Paris, alongside Kellie Harrington and Aoife O'Rourke, who won respective gold and bronze medals.
A sport where Ireland has thrived, women's boxing is only entering its fourth Olympics, with Katie Taylor winning Gold for Ireland in 2012 in the first year of its inclusion.
Ireland's success has continued, with Harrington winning Gold in 2020 Olympics, and Michaela has described the rise in standards in women's boxing as phenomenal, as she aims to add her name to Irish sporting history.
"It's phenomenal, I think the women's boxing team is one of the best in the world. You could send the top one, two or three in any weight, and they would come back with a medal, the calibre is just so, so high.
"With Katie Taylor winning gold in London, it just kick-started it all. There was people like myself who were boxing at that time, but her winning at the Olympics showed it can be done.
"If you go to most clubs around Ireland at the minute, they are amazing. Even over at the Europeans, the schoolgirls are phenomenal, I would have been nowhere near that level at that age, it just shows you how good women's boxing is, and it's only going to get better.
"When you go away, a lot of people fear the Irish women, because they know they are in for a hard, hard fight. Every time the women's team go away, they are producing, and it's brilliant to see. For me, It's amazing to be part of such a talented group of women."
The Tokyo Olympics was a special occasion not just for Michaela herself, but also her brother Aidan, who claimed bronze in the men's welterweight division.
On a very special day, both Walsh boxers qualified on the delayed Olympics on the same day, as Michaela defeated Sweden's Stephanie Thour, and Aidan overcame the experienced Ukrainian Yevhenii Barabandy.
Then in Japan, in another incredibly proud moment for the Walsh family, nobody was prouder for Aidan than his big sister Michaela, who described it as the best day of her life when they qualified for Japan.
"It was amazing, I've said it before it was probably the best day of my life when we qualified together, I think it was within an hour of each other.
"It was a special moment, just something you couldn't write. I remember when the relief of me qualifying, and the happiness lasted about five seconds and I remember thinking Aidan has to do it now.
"Just seeing Aidan compete in the Olympics and winning the medal, it was probably one of the proudest moments of my life. It was not only his dream but my dream as well, to see him go and achieve that was amazing.
"To do it once is almost a once in a lifetime thing, but to do it twice would be magical. It's a big thing for our family as well because they have invested so much into both of our careers.
"We have done it before, and anything else is a bonus. After the Olympics, I don't know how much longer I am going to be boxing for, so whatever else I go on to achieve in my career will be a bonus.
"I've achieved a lot, so I would be really greedy to ask for more."
After a last 16 exit in Japan, Michaela has grown from strength to strength, facing the best her division has to offer.
After being in the ring with the best, and having a taste of European experience, she backs herself to come home from Paris with a medal if she performs to her best.
"I believe if I perform to the best of my ability, I can be standing not only on top of the podium, but at the top of the podium.
"I have fought all the top girls at my weight. Everyone at the podium in the European games, they are the top one, two, three girls in the world, and I have competed with them all. Some have beat me, and I have beat some.
"Anytime we have met each other, it has been very close decisions. It's just whose day it is and who can perform best on the day, but I believe if I keep improving and keep getting better day by day, even if it's less than one per cent, that's the difference of getting your hand raised or not.
"I believe with my ability, I can be standing on the podium."
