Katie sees out 2012 in glory
Bray boxer picks up RTE award
BRAY'S FEMALE boxing star Katie Taylor picked up yet another end of year award for her 2012 achievements in the ring last week.
This time she was chosen as RTE's sports person of the year following her heroics in winning Olympic Gold in London in August.
The RTE gong comes within days of Bray's boxing legend picking up a monthly as well as the ovesrall award at the Irish Times/Irish Sports Council's gala awards ceremony in Dublin.
It has been a truly amazing year for Taylor who won her fourth consecutive world title at the AIBA world championships in China before heading to London to win Olympic gold in the women's 60kg competition.
Katie brought Ireland its first boxing gold in 20 years, our previous golden boy was Michael Carruth in the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona.
Athlete Fionnuala Britton, a member of the Kilcoole Club, was also one of the nominees for the RTE sports person of the year award, having retained her European crosscounty title in brilliant fashion in Budapest.
Britton won a second gold in these championships in early December when she led the Irish team to the winner's podium, getting her and her team-mates a second nomination for the RTE sports team of the year award.
However it was Katie Taylor who was the shining star at the RTE awards. The accolade of RTE sports person of the year was richly deserved, recognition of the fact that she has been the embodiment of women's boxing for several years.
She has lifted women's boxing to be rightly reckonised as a mainstream sport and she is delighted that its is getting the recognition it deserves. Claiming Olympic Gold in London has been the fulfillment of her dreams in boxing, but it does not stop there.
She has set her sights on defending her Olympic title in Rio in 4 years time and also on retaining her European and World titles. 'I'm as hungry as ever' she has said.
Already Katie is back in the gym training and itching to get back into the ring. Details of her first fight since the Olympics have been revealed and it will be a celebratory home coming bout in the Grant Canal Threatre on February 24.
All 2,100 tickets sold out within hours, showing the mass appeal that the Bray lass nows commands, not just among the boxing fraternity but well beyond. As a result a second boxing show is planned for Taylor for March 22.