TAYLOR THANKS FANS FOR AMAZING SUPPORT

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Katie Taylor has thanked fans via Twitter for their amazing support.

The Olympic and five-time World Elite champion dropped a shock split decision to Finland’s Mira Potkonen in the lightweight quarter-final at the Rio Olympics today.

Potkonen is now guaranteed to be taking home at least bronze from the 31st Olympiad.Irish boxing wishes the Finn the very best of luck in the semi-finals.

Taylor tweeted:”In the midst of a disappointing year, I just want to thank you all from the bottom of my heart for the amazing support.I love you all.”

Potkonen will meet China’s Yin Junhua in the last-four.France’s current World Elite champion Estelle Mossely and Russia’s Anastasiia Beliakova renew acquaintances in the other semi-final.

Junhua beat Azerbaijan’s Yana Alexseevna earlier today and Mossely and Beliakova decisioned Italy’s Irma Testa and Mikael Mayer of the USA this evening.

The Mossely versus Beliakova showdown is a repeat of the World Elite final which Mossely won in Kazakhstan last May.

Taylor was the first woman to secure an Olympic lightweight title on a proud day for Irish sport at London 2012, which marked the first occasion that female boxing appeared at an Olympiad.

Taylor (gold), Russia’s Sofya Ochigava (silver), Tajikistan’s Mavzuna Chorayeva (bronze) and Brazil’s Adriana Araujo (bronze) claimed the four lightweight medals at the London 2012 Excel Arena which Irish fans had more or less colonised and transformed into the National Stadium in Dublin.

By the end of this week a new quartet will occupy the women’s 60kg Olympic podium.