Donnelly: Taylor in ‘great shape’

Irish team manager Des Donnelly, said Katie Taylor is focused and ready for first assignment next Monday when she will meet either Queen Underwood (USA) or Natasha Jonas (Great Britain) for a bronze medal.

“Katie is in great shape, keeping a low profile, training away and just keeping out of the public eye,” he said.

“She is very sharp. As a matter of fact all the boxers are in terrific form. I think this is the best team we have brought out. Going to the Europeans in Moscow they were in great form but I think this team is just that little bit above it.”

He said the crowd was having an influence on the performances of the Irish boxers.

“Obviously it gives the boxer a lift when they walk out but when a fellow goes in, throws a few punches and the crowd roars he scores,” he said.

“It has an influence on the judges — somebody’s going to press a button — it favoured the Chinese boxer against Kenneth Egan in the final in Beijing. You use it to your advantage.”

John Joe Nevin is meeting some of his own heroes. He was a winner of an Irish Examiner Junior Sports Star Award back in 2008 but was at the Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Pescara, qualifying for the Beijing Olympics, the day of the presentation.

A big Manchester United fan, he was able to speak to the guest of honour, Alex Ferguson, by phone that day. This week he met another hero, Ryan Giggs, along with Liverpool’s Craig Bellamy in the Athletes’ Village.

“I met Ryan Giggs and Craig Bellamy, which is always nice,” he said. “And they saw John Joe Nevin of course! I’m just hoping to meet the two Williams sisters and get a picture with them. They’d be heroes of mine. I met Rafa Nadal at the last Olympics. He’d be another hero of mine. It’d be very nice to meet the Williams sisters.”

He was a bit coy as to why he would like to meet the Williams sisters however.

“That’s not for the newspapers,” he laughed.