Katie: I want to make a big statement this year

Katie Taylor says she wants 2013 to be “a huge year” in the ring.

Motivation has often proved difficult for Olympic gold medallists in the 12 months after such life-changing success but Taylor has proven long before this that she is no ordinary athlete.

Her words are sure to have been noted by potential opponents as she seeks a fifth consecutive EU Championship success. Just days short of her 27th birthday, Taylor made it clear yesterday she has no intention of resting on her laurels.

“It’s always a huge challenge to try to defend each title and they’re all out to get me now at this stage” Taylor said.

“So it’s a great challenge. I’d love to come back with another gold medal and I want to make a big statement this year. I want this year to be a huge year for me, building on last year.”

The championships take place in the Hungarian city of Keszthely, which hosted the 2010 tournament. Taylor’s preparations were slowed by a broken left hand and she is hoping that a proposed Ireland-Germany international gets the go ahead to leave her in mint condition in July.

“I need to get a couple of fights in before the EU Championships. It would be great for them to come over and get a couple of fights beforehand.

“The preparations have been going brilliant so far. It’s going really well. I can’t wait to go back in [the ring competitively] now.

“It’s going to be the first major competition since the Olympics for me so it’s going to be an exciting few weeks. It’s always good to have a day to focus on, to have a competition coming up.

“It’s great for the motivation but I honestly don’t mind training when I have no competition coming up because that’s where you can practice different things.

“You have to go through so many different phases of training as well like conditioning.

“So you need those parts as well to be at your best come competition time.”