Updated 19.10
KATIE TAYLOR IS two wins away from Rio after a perfect start at the European Olympic qualifiers in Samsun, Turkey.
The reigning lightweight gold medallist beat Martina Schmaranzova of the Czech Republic to book her place in Wednesday’s quarter-finals.
It topped a good day for the Irish women with Christina Desmond and Ceire Smith progressing to the last eight, while Brendan Irvine also won in the men’s flyweight division.
But there was disappointment for light-welterweight Dean Walsh who narrowly missed out in a split decision to Lorenzo Sotomayor of Azerbaijan.
Taylor returns to the ring on Wednesday to face Yvonne Rasmussen of Denmark, hoping for the first of two wins that would see her through to the final and guarantee Olympic qualification.
Cork’s Desmond will also be in quarter-final action after she stunned top seed Nouchka Fontijan.
Desmond was handed the toughest draw in the middleweight division (75kg) but outclassed her Dutch opponent for a unanimous decision win, setting up a meeting with Petra Szatmari of Hungary.
There was joy too for Smith who also scored a unanimous decision win against Hungary’s Virginia Barankai in her opening flyweight bout (51kg). She will face Tetyna Kob of Ukraine on Wednesday.
Irvine ran out unanimous winner on the judges’ cards, beating Hamza Touba of Germany.
Gardiner fights Mahammadrausl Majidor of Azerbaijan this evening, before three more Irish fighters step into the ring on Tuesday with David Oliver Joyce, Michael O’Reilly and London Olympian Darren O’Neill all in action.
The top three in each male weight class, and the top two females in each division, will qualify for the Olympics.
– First published 14.05
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