Irish Open golds for Evolution kickboxers

Jake Peppercorn and Nesta Baxter both scooped gold for Evolution Martial Arts at the Irish Open World Cup.
Evolution Martial Arts' Jake Peppercorn, Chelsea Leggatt, Paige Stedman and Nesta Baxter.Evolution Martial Arts' Jake Peppercorn, Chelsea Leggatt, Paige Stedman and Nesta Baxter.
Evolution Martial Arts' Jake Peppercorn, Chelsea Leggatt, Paige Stedman and Nesta Baxter.

The Boston kickboxing club returned from the globally-renowned event with a total of 10 medals medals and ranked 24th out of 201 clubs, their most successful Irish Open to date.

Jake won one gold, two silvers and a bronze, while Nesta returned with one gold, one silver and two bronzes.

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Teammate Chelsea Leggatt also found herself on the podium after winning two bronzes.

Day one of action at the City West Conference Centre in Dublin saw Jake win the Junior Male +94kg Point Fighting division, defeating Italian William Salvetti in the final.

He added silvers in the Junior Male -94kg and Junior Male -89kg poinst sections.

Jake then fought with fellow Great Britain athletes in the Junior Point Fighting team, finishing with a bronze after missing out on a place in the final to eventual winners USA.

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Nesta, 17, was crowned Irish Open World Cup champion in the Senior Female Light Continuous -60kg division.

She beat competitors from Italy, Norway and Great Britain before reaching the final, where she claimed the unanimous decision against Italian Flavia Verona in an exciting contest.

Nesta added a silver in the Junior Female Point Fighting category.

Eighteen-year-old Chelsea won bronze in the Junior Female +70kg Point Fighting, after missing out on a spot in the final to Irish opponent Saibh Kelly.

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She went on to add a second bronze in the Senior Female +70kg Light Continuous section.

Day two saw Paige Stedman, 12, join her clubmates in action.

She competed in her Point Fighting divisions and enjoyed some outstanding performances before bowing out at the quarter-finals stage.

Nesta added a bronze to her tally in the Junior Female Grand Champion Point Fighting division before joining the Senior Female team, who claimed bronze.

Jake and Chelsea both competed in their Junior Grand Champion events.

Although they did not get to the podium they had some fantastic fights.