Walsh insists getting Katie to Rio is top priority

Billy Walsh has promised that anything that can be done to keep Katie Taylor within boxing’s amateur ranks and on course for another shot at Olympic gold in four years’ time will be done.

The 26-year-old gold medallist admitted after her final bout in London that she would have to consider a move into the paid ranks if offers were made — which there assuredly will — and Walsh admitted it would be a tough decision for the 60kg champion.

“It’s purely a decision for her and her father,” said the head coach of Irish boxing’s high performance unit.

“I’ve spoken to her myself and she’s very happy with what we’ve delivered for her as a programme. She thanked me for it but she has challenges to face.

“She has done everything as an amateur. Can she be motivated to go back and repeat it? [Ukraine’s Vasyl] Lomachenko won his second gold medal there this week, so there is always that, to do that. We will support her 100%, the Irish Sports Council will be behind her 100% to get her there. Whatever it takes to get her there, we’ll do it.”

There has been a similar volume of feverish speculation over Walsh’s own immediate future given his role, and that of others such as Zaur Antia, in propelling Irish amateur boxing into one of the most feared and respected operations in the global fight game.

Walsh gave it a brief moment’s thought on yesterday’s arrival home at Dublin Airport and sounded for all the world like a man whose focus would continue to centre on the same unassuming training base at the National Arena on Dublin’s North Circular Road.

He spoke of pushing on towards 2016, of the next generation of boxers and of the need to ensure the necessary government funding to build on the successes of Beijing and London.

“I want to get back to my family now and see where I stand and see where Zaur stands,” he said of his own situation. “There are some offers on the table and I would like to ensure that these guys are tied down and their futures ensured for the next Games and give them some security, so we will be discussing that over the next few weeks.”

A decision will be forthcoming within a month, give or take. By then, the scale of what he and everyone else in the boxing sphere have achieved over recent years may sink in and allow Walsh to cast aside the disappointment that shadowed him yesterday.

For all their glory, Walsh was still “haunted” by the failure of his three male medallists to emulate Michael Carruth and capture gold.

“There was one of the days there when Paddy [Barnes] had won the bronze medal and none of the lads wanted to caress it. It was just normal. It is normal for us. We only get excited about gold or silver. That was why he said the bronze is for losers in Beijing.

“We strive to be the best we can be and we strive to get on top of the podium and we want to hear Amhrann na bhFiann being played and the tricolour raised. We’re not happy unless we do that.”