SPORTSWOMAN OF THE MONTH KATIE TAYLOR:BACK IN May 2005, when Katie Taylor won her first Irish Times sportswoman of the month award, we figured she'd have to reinforce the mantelpiece in her Bray home, such was the collection of prizes she'd amassed that year – among them her first European Championship gold medal and the Football Association of Ireland's Under-19 Player of the Year award.
Five years on and the collection is still expanding, the International Boxing Association announcing this week that Taylor had been named world female boxer of the year, for the second time in her career.
That, of course, was hardly a surprise after her success in the Caribbean last month where she won her third consecutive world title – having triumphed in 2006 in India and 2008 in China – and was also named boxer of the tournament.
While her 18-5 defeat of China’s Cheng Dong – her 100th victory from 106 bouts since 2001 – clinched the title for Taylor it was her performance in an epic semi-final against Queen Underwood that was the highlight from Barbados, the fight giving lie to the notion that it’s all too easy for the Irish woman.
After a blistering start to the bout Taylor led 10-1, but the American fought back brilliantly, and with only seconds left in the fight the score was 16-16.
By then Taylor seemed out on her feet, falling to the canvas at one point after slipping, but somehow managed to summon the energy to deliver two more shots. They proved enough, giving her an 18-16 victory in one of the toughest fights of her career.
In comparison, the final was a comfortable affair, if there can be any such thing in the sport, Taylor dominating from the off and outboxing an opponent, who is seven inches taller, she had beaten twice before, their first meeting in the 2008 world final.
It was Taylor’s 10th major international gold in just nine years and, inevitably, she was hardly out of the ring when she was asked if gold in London 2012 was a foregone conclusion.
With several nations, notably China, focusing heavily on women’s boxing, now that Olympic medals are there to be won, success in London is far from guaranteed.
Before then Taylor must qualify for the Games, with 36 places in three divisions (flyweight, lightweight and middleweight), up for grabs at the 2012 World Championships in Chongqing, China.
Because there will be no featherweight, bantamweight or light-welterweight categories in London several boxers who currently fight in those divisions are likely to end up in Taylor’s lightweight section, so she, more than anyone, knows how difficult it will be to cap an extraordinary career with Olympic gold.
Whatever happens in 2012, though, our two-time sportswoman of the year has already made more than a mark. When you have a not insignificant number of people tuning in to a late night live streaming on the RTÉ website of your bout of boxing in Barbados, it’s probably safe to say that you’ve captured the public’s imagination.
Monthly winners so far
JANUARY
Aoife Hoey and Claire Bergin (Bobsleigh). After finishing in the top 10 at the World Junior Championships last season, the athletes made it their goal to become the first Irish competitors to qualify for the women’s Olympic bobsleigh. They succeeded, making it to Vancouver.
FEBRUARY
Jessica Kurten (Equestrian). The Antrim rider had an exceptional start to the year, the highlights two World Cup qualifying series victories. She is the second ranked female showjumper in the world, 10th overall in the latest list.
MARCH
Katie Walsh (Horse racing). Walsh had a memorable trip to the Cheltenham Festival, where she expected only to be a spectator, winning the National Hunt Chase and the Vincent O’Brien County Hurdle.
APRIL
Dora Gorman (Soccer). The Galway teenager captained the Irish under-17 team to victory over reigning champions Germany in the semi-finals of the European Championships, before losing on penalties to Spain in the final. And last month she led the team to the last eight of the Under-17 World Cup in Trinidad.
MAY
Valerie Mulcahy (Gaelic football). Mulcahy was at her prolific best in the National League final, scoring 1-6 out of Cork’s 2-10 against Galway to help her county to their third league title in a row.
JUNE
Danielle McVeigh (Golf). Having won the Scottish Amateur Strokeplay Championship, to add to her British and Welsh titles, the 22-year-old from Co Down made an impressive Curtis Cup debut in Massachusetts, the highlight her victory over US Amateur champion Jennifer Song.
JULY
Derval O’Rourke (Athletics). Our 2006 Sportswoman of the Year was back to her very best at the European Championships in Barcelona, winning silver in the 100m hurdles.
AUGUST
Gráinne Murphy (Swimming) and Madeline Perry (Squash). Murphy posted the second fastest time in the world this year to take silver in the 1,500 metres freestyle at the European Championships. Perry broke into top five of the world rankings for the first time after winning the Australian Open.
