‘Pressure off’ for Katie Taylor at Rio Olympics as weight of expectations lifted

Katie Taylor insists her two recent losses have lifted pressure off her shoulders as she bids to retain her Olympic title in Rio.

The Bray woman suffered two defeats inside six weeks earlier this year, having previously gone five years unbeaten.

Her loss to Yana Alekseevna of Azerbaijan last April threatened to upset her Olympic qualification before Taylor got back on track at the World Championships in June to seal her qualification for Rio.