Katie Taylor has claimed her fourth AIBA World title in-a-row.
On another proud day for Irish amateur boxing, Ireland’s most successful Olympic sport, Taylor registered an 11-7 win over Russian southpaw Sofya Ochigava in today’s lightweight final at the 7th AIBA World Women’s Championships at the Olympic Stadium in Qinhuangdao, China.
A tense and tactical four-rounder was tied at 4-4 at the end of the first two rounds, but Taylor held her nerve and composure to carve out a two-point (8-6) advantage at the end of the third and claimed the fourth frame 3-1 to secure an historic victory.
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“I’m delighted with the win. It was always going to be a game of patience. I caught her with some clean shots in the third round. said the World number one after her victory.
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Today’s win – in a repeat of the 2011 European final which the Bray BC lightweight won 10-5 in Rotterdam – is Taylor’s 13th major gold medal.
She has now won four World, five European and four European Union gold medals – all in-a-row – since 2005 and has never been beaten in a major international final.
Her AIBA World gold medals were claimed in New Delhi, India in 2006, Ningbo City, China in 2008, Bridgetown, Barbados in 2010 and Qinhuangdao, China in 2012.
Her next major test will be on the biggest stage of them all at the 2012 Olympic Games in London.
“I’m delighted to go to the Olympics and hopefully I’ll come back with a gold medal for my country, ” added the two-time AIBA World female boxer of the year.
Taylor’s coach and dad, Pete Taylor, and Zuar Antia, a multiple Georgian national champion and a former USSR boxer, were working Taylor’s corner today and once again got their tactics spot on against Ochigava, who could meet Taylor again at the London Olympics.”
“It was always going to be a tough fight and we’re absolutely delighted with the win. Katie came out here to win the World title and she did that and we’re delighted to be taking home another gold medal,” said Pete Taylor.
Irish team manager Anna Moore added that they were thrilled with today’s victory.
The 7th AIBA World Women’s Championships was acting as the first, and only, Olympic qualifier for female boxers for London 2012.
Women’s boxing will make it historic debut at the London Olympics in three weight categories – flyweight, lightweight and middleweight.
7th AIBA World Women’s Championships Qinhuangdao, China
May 12th
51kg (Last 64) Ceire Smith (Ireland) beat Veglina Svetlana (Tajikistan) RSC3
75kg (Last 64) Sinead Kavanagh (Ireland) lost to Francelis Paez Carmona (Venezuela) 19-23
May 13th
51kg (Last 32) Ceire Smith (Ireland) beat Sarah-Joy Iris Rae (Jamaica) 12-4
May 14th
60Kg (Last 32) Katie Taylor (Ireland) beat Rim Jouini (Tunisia) 19-6
May 15th
51kg (Last 16) Ceire Smith (Ireland) lost to Anna Karolina Michalczuk (Poland) RSC3
60kg (Last 16) Katie Taylor (Ireland) beat Saida Khassenova (Kazakhstan) RSC4
May 16th
60kg (Quarter-finals) Katie Taylor (Ireland) beat Mihaela Lacatus (Romania) W/O
May 18th
Semi-finals
60kg Katie Taylor (Ireland) beat Mavzuna Chorieva (Tajikistan) 16-6
60kg Sofya Ochigava (Russia) beat Natasha Jonas (England) 18-10
May 19th
Final
60kg Katie Taylor (Ireland) beat Soyfa Ochigava (Russia) 11-7
Irish squad
51kg (Flyweight) Ceire Smith (Cavan)
60kg (Lightweight) Katie Taylor (Bray)
75kg (Middleweight) Sinead Kavanagh (Drimnagh)
Team manager: Anna Moore
Coaches: Peter Taylor and Zuar Antia
Physio: Mary Louis Ryan
