Katie Taylor secures Olympic Games spot at World Championships

Katie Taylor sealed an Olympic Games place with victory over Victoria Torres in the World Championships quarter-final in Astana.

Ireland's reigning world lightweight champion, looking for a sixth successive title, was rarely troubled by her Mexican opponent in claiming three 40-36 verdicts on the judges' cards.

Victory was enough to see Taylor through to the last four, with all semi-finalists in Kazakhstan guaranteed a place in the field for the Olympics in Rio later this summer.

Taylor would have expected to take on Azerbaijan's Yana Alekseevna in the semis, looking for revenge after being beaten by her in the European qualifiers last month - a defeat that ended Taylor's five-year winning streak

But Alekseevna was surprisingly beaten by French fighter Estelle Mossely -  beaten by Taylor in the European Games final last June - by a unanimous points decision

Taylor said on Twitter: "Honoured to be representing Ireland in another Olympics. It really is a dream come true. The support from everyone has been incredible!"

Her team-mate Kelly Harrington also moved into the semi-finals with a similarly one-sided points win over home favourite Zarina Tsoloyeva.

Harrington is guaranteed a bronze medal in the 64kg category, but the Dublin boxer cannot celebrate Olympic qualification as her weight category is not part of the Olympic Games tournament.

Welterweight Grainne Walsh was unable to make it through her quarter-final bout as she fell to Kazakh fighter Valentina Khalzova.

Walsh suffered a nasty cut in the second round, meaning the fight was stopped, and with Khalzova having won the first round she was given the verdict.