Boxing:Irish lightweight Katie Taylor booked her place in the semi-final of the Seventh Women's European Championships in the Ukraine today with a stoppage win against Sweden's Kosovare Buzuku, which means the Bray boxer is guaranteed at least the bronze medal.
Taylor is the defending champion and searching for her fourth title in a row at the Nadezhda Sports Complex in Nikalaev City, and on today’s performance who’s to say she won’t go on and win.
The reigning world champion and 2008 AIBA World Female Boxer of the Year was 4-0 ahead in today’s bout when the Swede was forced to retire with a facial injury one minute into the first round.
It was Taylor's 36th consecutive victory and she will now meet Bulgaria’s Denica Eliseeva in tomorrow's semi-finals. The 23-year-old beat the Bulgarian 8-1 in Pazardjik in June to secure her second European Union gold medal.
There was disappointment for Irish middleweight Sinead Kavanagh, who lost her last 16 fight 3-2 against Poland’s Lidia Fidura.
The Drimnagh boxer, competing in her first major international tournament, went 1-0 up at the end of first round and was 2-1 ahead after the second.
However, Fudura levelled in the fourth and final round before securing a narrow victory.