A dream come true for Taylor

OLYMPIC NEWS: NEWS THAT Katie Taylor will finally realise her dream and compete at the London Olympics in 2012 may have implications for Beijing bronze medallist Paddy Barnes. As women's boxing was included in the next Olympic Games in three weight categories yesterday, it was also announced that the men's boxing schedule will have to be trimmed by one weight division.

Although the decision has not yet been made on what men’s division will be removed from the Olympic schedule, it is believed that one of the lighter weight classes, in which Barnes fights, will come under threat.

Women will compete at flyweight (48-51kg), lightweight (56-60kg) and middleweight (69-75kg) in London, with 12 boxers taking part at each weight. Taylor has won the last two World Championships and is the current European champion in the lightweight class.

In order for the total number of male and female boxers to remain at the current quota of 286 athletes, there will be one less weight category in the men’s competition, meaning that there will be 10 weights for men.

The 48kg light flyweight division is where Barnes won his medal in Beijing’s Workers Gymnasium and current thinking is that for men 48kg, or, seven and a half stone, is the division most likely to go. Barnes may now be forced to move up to flyweight in the 51kg class, which is a more competitive arena.

But the women’s inclusion for London will offer Ireland one of its best chances for a medal. Although it is expected that China and Russia, particularly, will greatly beef up their women’s boxing programs, Taylor has only lost once in 61 fights and has had 39 consecutive victories over the last three years.

“I’m absolutely thrilled,” she said yesterday. “This is a dream come true, not only for me, but for female boxers throughout the world who have worked so hard to gain Olympic status.

“Our sport has come on in leaps and bounds in recent years and this decision has added a whole new dimension to the sport.”

Coached by her father Peter, Taylor most recently fought in Dublin on the undercard of Bernard Dunne’s successful professional WBA world title fight against Ricardo Cordoba. It was the first time in Ireland a professional and amateur show were staged at the same time. Prior to that few had ever seen Ireland’s most decorated boxer fight in the flesh.

“We are absolutely delighted with the historic decision of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to include women’s boxing in the 2012 Olympic Games in London and we are delighted that Katie Taylor will be given this opportunity,” said Dominic O’Rourke, president of the Irish Amateur Boxing Association (IABA).

“Over the last number of years Katie has performed with a level of consistency rarely seen in international sport. In that period she has won the world, European and European Union titles and has also won the 2008 Aiba world female boxer of the year award. We are all immensely proud of her achievements and she is a magnificent ambassador for our sport and sport as a whole.”

The decision, announced by the IOC president Jacques Rogge following a meeting of the executive board in Berlin, means that the London Games will be the first to feature both genders participating in all of the Olympic sports. Women will be able to compete alongside men for the first time since boxing was included as a demonstration sport in the St Louis Olympics in 1904. The decision also comes in the wake of a Canadian judge criticising the IOC for holding a bias against women, a view that was supported by the medal count at Beijing, where 165 medals went to men and 127 to women.

“That business in Canada was a stinging rebuke to the IOC,” said Olympic Council of Ireland president Pat Hickey.

“I am absolutely thrilled for Katie. I know when I was talking to her she didn’t know whether to turn pro or to give up.

“I know it was her dream to compete in London. But now I think we should take the pressure off her in not talking all the time about a gold medal.

“When it comes to London Katie will be amazed with the new faces that are going to emerge from countries like Russia and China.”

Factfile: Katie Taylor

Age: 23

Achievements: Two times World Champion; three times European Champion; two times European Union Champion; 2008 Aiba World female boxer of the year