KATIE TAYLOR WILL contest her first Olympic final after defeating Mavzuna Choerieva 17-9 this afternoon.
In front of a strong Irish crowd at London’s ExCel Arena, the Bray fighter, competing in the women’s lighweight, saw off the threat of her 19-year-old Tajikistan opponent comfortably by winning all four of the two minute rounds.
The four-time world champion was 3-1 up at the first bell and made it 4-2 (7-3 overall) at the halfway point. Choerieva looked to close the gap in Round 3 but lost it 6-3 to leave Taylor seven points ahead going into the final round.
It’s a dream come through,” she told RTE Sport afterwards. ”I just had to stay calm and composed. She was always going to be showboating and she’s a bit dirty as well.
“It was a great win. An Olympic final tomorrow, what can I say. God is great. He is my shield my strength. Glory to God. I have to go and be focused for tomorrow and forget about today. It’s different fight altogether.
On the tributes which have been flooding in from the boxing world, she added: “I haven’t been taking much notice of what’s going on around me. Everyone’s been great and at home I know I’ve a whole nation praying for me.”
Peter Taylor, her father and coach said: “An Olympic final, it’s absolutely unbelievable. We knew it would be a free-for-all but we had a plan.”
The 26-year-old will now take on Sofya Ochigava in tomorrow’s final (4.45pm) after the Russian beat Brazil’s Adriana Araujo 17-11.
“We know Sofya well. It’s going to be a tough fight but it’s an Olympic final.”
