BOXING: First round knock-out sees Taylor in semi-finalKatie Taylor is guaranteed at least a bronze medal from the sixth Women's European Championships following a stunning first-round quarter-final knock-out of Mc de la Guia Guerra in Vejle, Denmark, yesterday.
Taylor, who is aiming for her third European lightweight title on the trot in Denmark, dropped the Spaniard with a vicious left hook after just 30 seconds of yesterday's last eight bout.
The St Fergal's, Bray, woman will now meet Yana Zavyalova from the Ukraine in today's semi-final just two fights away from landing an historic three-in-a-row for Ireland.
Taylor said: "I'm delighted with the win but I am expecting a tough fight against Zavyalova. I have never boxed her before but she had a good win today and on Monday and I cannot take anything for granted with this fight."
Zavyalova beat Germany's Natalia Kalinowski yesterday and is ranked 11th in the World and eighth in Europe.
But 21-year-old Taylor is the reigning world champion and is ranked number one in the world and number one in Europe and will be favourite to advance from this afternoon's last-four clash.
However, Zavyalova did beat Turkey's Tatar Gulsum on Monday. Gulsum is the only boxer to have beaten Taylor in the last two years, a controversial 16-13 win in Turkey last summer.
Mc de la Guia Guerra needed medical attention in the ring after being knocked out.
Gronholm and Loeb to do battle in Rally Ireland
MOTOR SPORT:The two giants of rallying, Sebastien Loeb of France and Finland's Marcus Gronholm, will do battle at an awesome pace for World Championship honours in Rally Ireland 2007 next month, writes Brian Foley.
The two are split by Loeb's Citroen team-mate Dani Sordo of Spain on the seeded list of 90 competitors released yesterday for the event which begins on November 15th.
Loeb has already demonstrated his skill in mastering the unique Irish tarmac stages with wins in this year's Donegal and Cork rallies.
Loeb and Sordo in the Citroen C4 WRCs are well prepared for the special stages over the mountain roads and farm lanes of the north-west.
Gronholm will be retiring at the end of this year's championship and in his second last rally will mount a formidable challenge with strong support from BP Ford team-mate and fellow Finn Mikko Hirvonen in their Ford Focus RS WRCs.
Gronholm won this year's Galway International and Hirvonen recovered after a puncture to finish fifth in Cork.
Just four points separate leader Gronholm and Loeb in the drivers' championship.
The top seeded Irish drivers are Kris Meeke (number 18) in a Subaru, Gareth MacHale (19) in his Ford Focus WRC, four-time Irish Tarmac Champion Eugene Donnelly (21) in a Skoda Fabria WRC or more likely a Subaru, and Eamonn Boland (22) in a Ford Focus WRC.
