IRELAND’S BOXING SENSATION Katie Taylor has secured a medal at the Women’s World Championships in Barbados, after a comprehensive victory over Russia’s Anastasia Balyakova in her 60kg light-welterweight quarter-final last night.

Taylor fired out of the traps to end the first round 3-0 in front, and was 6-1 up after the second. 17-year-old Balyakova had simply no answer to Taylor’s class and experience, resigning to defeat as she fell 10-1 behind after the third round and finishing on the wrong end of a 16-1 result in a scorching evening in Barbados.

Such was Taylor’s dominance that Balyakova faced two standing eight-counts in the final round, and was very nearly qualified by technical knockout.

Taylor will now face US boxer Queen Underwood in Friday’s semi-final, and is guaranteed a medal having made it to the semi-finals of the tournament.

Having beaten Underwood by 30-3 in their last meeting in 2009, however, Taylor will be a hot favourite to make it through to Saturday’s overall decider, where she will seek their third world title.