London 2012: Katie Taylor Leads The Fight For Olympic Gold
20 Jul 2012
Katie Taylor is part of the Irish Olympic Boxing team, and the four time World Champion is leading the way in the fight for medals at London 2012.
The Irish Boxing team has already come together for intense training session in preparation for the Games. The pressure is on for them, particularly for Katie, who has been leading the way in her category. The team's head coach, Billy Walsh knows this better than others:
'Katie is the flagship of the women's sport and one of the main reasons it got into the Games. Other countries are chasing her and trying to find ways to beat her'
But even in the face of such pressure, Katie remains determined and is thriving on the opportunity a head of her:
'For me, it has been a lifelong ambition to represent my country in the Olympic Games, so I want to enjoy the privilege and take it all in'
'I am aware of the expectation that is on me, but nobody expects more of me than myself'
For Katie, there is more to the Summer Games then a medal hunt. As the world number one, she will be leading the way in the return of women's boxing to the Olympics in over 100 years. Not since the 1904 Games in St. Louis have women battled it out in the boxing ring at the Olympics.
'The world is going to see how competitive it is and I think people will be shocked when they see it' says Katie.
This is an exciting time for the entire team and we wish them luck in the coming weeks.
