Katie Taylor: Olympic champion one win away from Rio place

Katie Taylor won the Olympic lightweight title in London

Ireland's London 2012 gold medallist Katie Taylor is just one victory away from clinching a Rio Games spot at the World Championships in Kazakhstan.

The Bray fighter defeated Argentina's Dayana Sanchez with a unanimous decision in a dominant display to reach the lightweight quarter-finals.

All four semi-finalists will qualify for the Olympics this summer.

Taylor, who is aiming for a sixth world title, faces Victoria Torres of Mexico in Astana on Tuesday.

The defending Olympic champion also beat Swede Agnes Alexiusson on a unanimous decision to reach the last 16.

Taylor, 29, was surprisingly beaten in the Olympic qualifier in Turkey last month.

Azerbaijan's Yana Alekseevna handed Taylor her first defeat in five years at the European Olympic qualifiers to leave the five-time world champion still seeking Rio qualification.

Alekseevna's victory in Samsun was Taylor's first defeat in 63 contests.