Taylor stays focused as old foe looms large

Russian southpaw Sofya Ochigava and Katie Taylor are just one win each away from setting up a repeat of their 2012 Olympic lightweight final in London.

Both boxers are in action at the European semi-finals in Bucharest, Romania today between 1pm and 2pm (Irish time).

Ireland’s Clare Grace is also in last-four action today. The Kilkenny welterweight, the only Irish female fighter to medal at this level besides Taylor, meets England’s Stacey Copeland.

Both fighters had a light training session yesterday ahead of this morning’s weigh-in.

Taylor faces Bulgaria’s Denista Eliseeva, and Ochigava, who Taylor beat in the 2011 and 2012 European, World and Olympic finals, meets France’s Estelle Mosselly.

Eliseeva holds a controversial win over Taylor from the Strandja Multi-Nations final in Bulgaria in February 2011 and is the last fighter to beat the Bray woman.

The European championship – given the strength of the lightweight class in particular — is a good barometer for the AIBA World Women’s Elite Championships in Jeju island in Korea in November.

But Taylor’s coach and dad Peter is not looking beyond today’s last-four bouts: “Katie has a tough semi-final ahead and all her focus is on that at the moment.

“We’re just concentrating on reaching the final.”

Taylor, who is aiming for her sixth successive European title in Bucharest, while Grace will pick up at least 450 rankings points by virtue of reaching the last-four. But both women will have their eyes on the 800 rankings points on offer for gold in Bucharest.

If Taylor wins gold this weekend she will hold the title for 11 years as the next European Women’s Championships is in 2016.