Taylor Collects Irish Times/Vhi Award by Bernard O’Neill

World lightweight champion Katie Taylor has been named as the Irish Times/Vhi Sportswoman of the month recipient for October.  Taylor, from the St Fergal’s club in Bray, claimed her third European title on the trot last month just under a year after she won her 60Kg World title in New Delhi, India.

The 21 year old Irish Amateur Boxing Association High Performance athlete-Irelands most successful sportsperson in any sport in 2006/07-will now be in contention for the Irish Times/Vhi Sportswoman of the year award for 2007 along with eleven other sportswomen.

The Irish Times/Vhi award (see today’s Irish Times) is the second time this month that an Irish boxer has won an award from a leading Irish newspaper.

On November 2nd last, Paddy Barnes won the Irish Independent/Jury Doyle Hotels Sportstar of the Week award.

Light flyweight Barnes, from the Holy Family club in Belfast, received his award after qualifying for the 2008 Olympics Games from the 2007 AIBA World Championships in Chicago.

The 20 year olds achievement in Chicago has seen him rise to number 13 in the World and number 8 in Europe in the rankings just published for October on the ABA Amateur Boxing website.

Taylor, meanwhile, is ranked number one in the World and Europe for the ten month running. She is also ranked number one in the World and Europe in the pound-for-pound section.