Sports Digest/ BOXING: Irish lightweight Katie Taylor landed her second European senior championship gold medal on the trot in Poland on Saturday. The 19-year-old from St Fergal's Club, Bray, stopped the reigning world champion Tatyana Chalaya on the 15-point rule (18-3), in the second round of their 60kg final.
The victory arrived just 48 hours after she beat the world silver medallist, Tatar Gulson from Turkey (18-15), to set up Saturday's decider with the Russian.
Taylor, whose father, Peter, was in her corner in Warsaw, also picked up the "boxer of the tournament" award and may now compete at the world championships this November.
But she will have to wait six years at least if she is to represent her country at the Olympics, as it was decided last year that women's boxing would not be included in the 2008 Games.
It is expected, however, that the sport will make its debut at the 2012 Games in London, over 100 years after men's boxing became an Olympic sport at the 1908 Games, also in London.
The former Irish Olympian and coach Billy Walsh said: "There are not many Irish sports men or women that can say they won back-to-back European senior titles and this was an incredible performance.
"Not only did she successfully defend her title but she beat the world number one and two to do it and she was also chosen as the boxer of the tournament."
MOTOR SPORT: Danish driver Johnny Laursen powered his Ascari-Judd V10 to a Mondello lap record of 88.708 seconds (88.33 mph) in scoring a tearaway victory in the EuroBoss F1 race yesterday, writes Brian Foley.
Laursen and Klass Zwart (Holland) made it a one-two for Team Ascari, with Patrick d'Aubreby third in a Benetton-Ford HB V8.
Ireland's Simon McKinley finished fifth in his Formula Atlantic Lant.
McKinley made a lightning start, shooting up to third and eventually finishing behind Pierre Schroder (Luxembourg) in another Ascari-Judd V10.
Eighteen-year-old Fermanagh driver Kris Loane (Kesh) won yesterday's Leinster Trophy race for Formula Ford 1600 cars.
CANOEING: Gary Mawer of Salmon Leap Canoe Club and his partner Steve Baker from Elm Bridge in Britain won the K2 (two-person racing kayak) class at the Liffey Descent on Saturday. An entry of 1,000 started the race from Straffan to Islandbridge.
Last year Mawer won the K1 section, but this year's title went to Aisa Cooper of Celbridge Paddlers. Kilkenny's Darryll Audoire continued his dominance of the General Purpose class, taking his fourth successive crown.
GAELIC GAMES: Mayo's Fintan Ruddy, with a kick into the wind of 62 metres, won the seventh annual Cic Fada, hosted by Bray Emmets GAA club yesterday. Twenty-four players took part, including Offaly's Ciarán McManus, Dublin's Darren Magee, Armagh's Paul Hearty and Fergal Byron of Laois.
Meath's Gillian Bennett won the women's title with 48 metres.
