Katie Taylor returns to winnning ways in Turkey

Bray boxer beats Bulgaria’s Svetlana Staneva in a comfortable points decision in box-off

Katie Taylor returned to winning ways against Bulgaria’s Svetlana Staneva on Sunday. Photograph: Inpho
Katie Taylor returned to winning ways against Bulgaria’s Svetlana Staneva on Sunday. Photograph: Inpho

Katie Taylor returned to winning ways with a unanimous points decision over Bulgaria's Svetlana Staneva in Turkey.

The result means Taylor has secured third place in the European Olympic qualifiers, but must wait for her place at Rio 2016.

Following her semi-final loss to Azerbaijan’s Yana Alekseevna, her first competitive defeat since 2011, the Bray boxer was looking to bounce back in style and get her qualification campaign back on track.

And she did so in Samsun, comprehensively outboxing Staneva and seeing her opponent hit the canvas in the third round after missing with a tired swing.

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Taylor cleaned up on all three cards in the opening three rounds and received a split decision in the fourth, meaning it was a comfortable win for the 29-year-old.

Meanwhile on Sunday afternoon David Joyce looks to earn himself a Rio Olympics place as he takes on Turkey's Volkan Gokcek in their box-off.