The Morning Sports Briefing

Katie Taylor beaten

Irish boxing received another hammer-blow yesterday as Katie Taylor was beaten in her opening bout of the Olympics, losing to Finland’s Mira Potkonen in an agonising split decision. Keith Duggan was present as the defending champion’s crown slipped at the first.

Frustration on the water

There was a day of frustration on the water as Annalise Murphy’s medal race in the laser radial event was postponed at the last minute due to the wind at Guanabara Bay.

Murphy, who currently lies in the bronze medal position, was delayed throughout the day with low winds meaning the race couldn’t start. However, with the wind picking up and the boats on the water ready to race, the winds got too high for it to go ahead - meaning Murphy must go again today.

Mixed fortunes in Rio

Elsewhere Scott Evans’s Olympics are over after he was beaten in straight sets by Denmark’s Viktor Axelsen. It was a better day for Thomas Barr however, as he progressed from the 400m hurdles heats, while Oliver Dingley also made it out of the 3m springboard preliminaries and into today’s semis.

Jim McGuinness says Tipp have every chance

In his column today Jim McGuinness looks ahead to Sunday’s All-Ireland Football semi-final between Mayo and Tipperary, and insists the Munster underdogs cannot be written off.

He writes: “The big thing about this Tipperary team and what differentiates them from other outsiders who have gone deep into the championship is that they have the experience of being winners because of the county’s success at underage level over a number of years.”

Conte era begins with a win

Antonio Conte’s Chelsea tenure got off to a winning start last night, with Diego Costa’s late goal sealing all three points against a lacklustre West Ham side at Stamford Bridge.

League of Ireland

And in the League of Ireland a last minute Stephen Best goal gave Bohemians a 3-2 win over Sligo Rovers at Dalymount Park. Elsewhere St Patrick’s Athletic beat Longford 1-0, Shamrock Rovers beat Wexford Youths 3-1, and Derry City and Cork City played out a goalless draw at the Brandywell.