Katie Taylor's defence of Olympic title falls at first hurdle after losing to Mira Potkonen

Katie Taylor’s defence of her Olympic title has ended at the first hurdle after defeat to Finland’s Mira Potkonen on Monday.

The Irish fighter won gold at London 2012 but was abruptly sent packing from Rio after a split decision count-back went against her in the lightweight quarter-finals.

The verdicts were 39-37 38-38 37-39 meaning one judge gave the result to Taylor and another scored a draw, so the Olympic count-back ruling was brought in to deny the champion.

Taylor was handed a bye in the first round meaning her debut in Brazil would have earned her a minimum of a bronze medal if she advanced past Potkonen.

Taylor (right) was often caught with her guard down

The reigning champion was ahead on the judges' scorecards after one round but Potkonen roared back, frequently making Taylor pay for her lax defence with an accurate right hook.

Two judges favoured Potkonen heading into the fourth and final round and, despite Taylor remaining competitive until the final bell, she couldn't do enough to avoid elimination.

"I thought I had the fight won, but it was a close fight, and congratulations to her," said Taylor. "But I should be really beating those girls."

Taylor's loss continued an awful Olympics in the ring for Ireland. Michael Conlan is the last Irish fighter left from the eight who made the team. He fights on Tuesday.

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Charlotte Dujardin wins Olympic gold after defending individual dressage title

Charlotte Dujardin claimed a gold medal for Great Britain after successfully defending the Olympic individual dressage title.

The 31-year-old set an Olympic record Grand Prix freestyle score of 93.857 per cent on Valegro, pulling clear of her nearest rivals, to add her third Olympic gold medal.

Germany's Isabell Werth finished second on Wiehegold and her compatriot Kristina Broring-Sprehe took the bronze with Desperados, while Britain's Carl Hester finished seventh on Nip Tuck.

Charlotte Dujardin claimed a gold medal for Great Britain after successfully defending the Olympic individual dressage title.

The 31-year-old set an Olympic record Grand Prix freestyle score of 93.857 per cent on Valegro, pulling clear of her nearest rivals, to add her third Olympic gold medal.

Germany's Isabell Werth finished second on Wiehegold and her compatriot Kristina Broring-Sprehe took the bronze with Desperados, while Britain's Carl Hester finished seventh on Nip Tuck.

Dujardin's score was comfortably higher than her gold-medal winning tally at London 2012, which was also set on Valegro, and was her third highest of all-time.

The Gloucestershire-based rider joins eventer Richard Meade as the most successful British Olympic equestrian rider with a hat-trick of golds.

Dujardin recorded her third highest score ever in Rio

Dujardin, who holds all three of the sport's world records, confirmed that Valegro is likely to be retired later this year.

 "I knew he couldn't have done any more," she said. "It is really emotional.

"It is on the cards he is going to retire, and we will go home and make a plan.

 "I went in there to enjoy it and give everything. He really looked after me in there and helped me.

"He is so magical. I can't even tell you what it is like to ride him. He has a heart of gold."

Resource: skysports.com

USA gymnast Simone Biles fails in bid for record gold haul

Simone Biles' bid for a record five women's gymnastics gold medals in Rio has ended after the USA star came third on the beam, with Sanne Wevers of the Netherlands securing victory.

Biles, a gold medallist in the team, all-around and vault in Rio, fought to stay on the apparatus during her routine, scoring just 14.733 points.

It was the first time the 19-year-old has been beaten in a final since 2013.

Wevers took gold with 15.466 points ahead of American Lauren Hernandez, who claimed silver with 15.333.

The Dutch gymnast finished runner-up to three-time world all-around champion Biles on the beam at last year's world championships.

Despite getting off to a strong start, Biles put her hands down on the beam after landing a front somersault.

Biles was marked down for touching the beam while landing a somersault

But the Texan still has a chance to secure a record-equalling fourth gold when she competes in Tuesday's floor final.

Soviet gymnast Larissa Latynina (1956), Czech Vera Caslavska (1968) and Romanian Ecaterina Szabo (1984) are the other gymnasts to have won four gold medals at the same Games.

Resource: skysports.com

Germany canoe slalom coach Stefan Henze dies after road crash

A canoe slalom coach from Germany has died after sustaining head injuries last week in a car crash in Rio de Janeiro, the country's Olympic team has confirmed.

Stefan Henze, who was 35 and won a silver medal in canoe slalom at the 2004 Athens Games, died surrounded by his family, the team said.

"We know that Stefan's own Olympic thoughts live on in many people," Henze's family said in a statement.

Henze had been in a Rio hospital since undergoing emergency surgery following the taxi accident on Friday.

"Today the sport which the whole team came to Rio for recedes into the background," Germany team leader Michael Vesper said.

"Our thoughts are with Stefan's loved ones, who had the opportunity to say goodbye here."

Sports scientist Christian Kaeding was in the taxi with Henze but suffered only slight injuries.

Germany will commemorate Henze's death in the Olympic Village on Tuesday and the country's flag will be flown at half-mast at all Olympic sites in Rio.

IOC President Thomas Bach described Henze as a "true Olympian"

"The IOC is mourning the loss of a true Olympian," IOC President Thomas Bach said. "Our sympathy is with the family of Stefan Henze, his friends and all of the German Olympic team."

Germany's canoe slalom team posted a black and white image of Henze on its Twitter account.

"We are deeply sad," read an accompanying tweet . "Rest in peace, Stefan. You will stay in our hearts forever."

Resource: skysports.com

Renaud Lavillenie likens Rio crowd to Berlin 1936 Olympics

France's Renaud Lavillenie has expressed his disappointment after he was jeered by the Rio crowd whilst competing in the final of the Olympic pole vault.

Lavillenie, the defending champion from London 2012, was beaten to gold by home favourite Brazilian Thiago Braz da Silva, who achieved an Olympic record of 6.03 metres.

He likened the treatment he received from the partisan crowd to that of the experience of US athlete Jesse Owens had during the 1936 Olympics in Berlin.

"In 1936, the crowd was against Jesse Owens. We've not see this since. We have to deal with it," he explained.

An increasingly vocal crowd whistled and booed the French athlete as it became apparent Da Silva was in contention for a medal.

Jesse Owens won gold in front of a hostile crowd at the Berlin Olympics in 1936

Lavillenie lamented the "nastiness" of the crowd and suggested those who joined in the jeering should have stayed at home.

"Better to stay at home in front of your television than come and whistle," said Lavillenie.

"At least then we'd have people in the stadium who want to watch sport.

"It really disturbed me, I felt the nastiness of the public and we do a sport where you never see that.

"I completely understand that the Brazilians are behind Thiago, that's totally normal. But what is not normal is the total lack of respect for the rivals. The least thing, if you don't like someone, is to ignore them, but not to insult them. Because I took that as an insult.

Thiago Braz da Silva won Brazil's second Olympic gold medal

"It's horrible to see that at the Olympic Games."

Preparing vaults on the run-up, Lavillenie appeared on the stadium's big screens, to increased booing.

He greeted the jeers with a wagging finger and then a thumbs-down, to even more whistles.

"In all the competitions I've taken part in, even where the local athlete was going for something, the public has never ever whistled the athletes. It's incredible," he said.

I understand that they don't encourage them, but it's not football, it's the Olympic Games which has an enormous sporting influence, it's not every year it happens, and I think the crowd spoilt the experience for a lot of pole vaulters tonight.

"It's the first time I've experienced this type of crowd. It's the first time they've been against not only me but all the other pole vaulters except the Brazilian guy.

"There is no respect, no fair play. It's the Olympics, if there's no respect in the Olympics, where can we get respect? I'm very, very sad and disappointed by the Brazilian public that was in the stadium."

Resource: skysports.com

Shane McGuigan and BJ Flores among those to condemn Olympic boxing judging

The judging of Olympic boxing in Rio has come under fire in the wake of Evgeny Tishchenko's heavyweight gold medal.

Russia's Tishchenko was awarded the decision over Kazakhstan's Vassiliy Levit in the 91kg final - but after widespread shock at the judging of the bout, the following medal ceremony produced the bizarre scenes of an Olympic champion being booed.

Some of the refereeing as well as the judging has already come under scrutiny, but it was the scoring of Tishchenko versus Levit that inspired some of the sport's big professional names to take to Twitter and voice their concerns.

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Shane McGuigan was critical of the decision in the heavyweight final

Here's a canvas of opinion...

Shane McGuigan (world champion coach): "Boxers spend 4 years training for these championships, to get robbed after 9 mins. I've seen 20+ wrong decisions."

BJ Flores (world title challenger): "No question. Levit won all THREE rounds. Impossible to give Tischenko two rounds. Impossible!"

Kal Yafai (unbeaten flyweight): "One of the worst decisions I've ever seen. Disgusting."

Gamal Yafai (Commonwealth super-bantamweight champion): "Wow. The Russian didn't even win a round for me." 

Never seen anything like that. I don't even know the guy and I'm angry for him.

Gary Lockett

Tommy McCarthy (unbeaten cruiserweight): "Levit on fire. I smell a rat! Levit literally punched him all over the ring."

Gary Lockett (trainer): "Absolutely disgraceful decision - Levit p***** that. Never seen anything like that. I don't even know the guy and I'm angry for him. Absolutely devastating for him."

Tom Farrell (unbeaten super-lightweight): "Terrible decision, that. The Kazakh has been robbed of a gold medal there."

The Olympic boxing tournament climaxes on Sunday with the men's flyweight, light-welterweight and super-heavyweight finals alongside the women's middleweight gold medal bout.

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Rio Olympics: Katherine Grainger overcame 'adversity' to land historic medal

Katherine Grainger has described her silver in Rio as the "adversity medal" after defying the odds to become Britain's most decorated female Olympian.

The 40-year-old has now medalled at five Olympic Games, claiming silvers at Sydney 2000, Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008, and winning gold at London 2012 before adding to her medal haul in Rio.

Grainger took a break from rowing after London 2012 only to return to the sport two years later with a view to reaching the Rio Olympics.

But Grainger and double sculls partner Vicky Thornley only had their spot at Rio confirmed six weeks before the Games, making the task facing the pair even harder.

"It was more than a distraction because if you don't know you are going to an Olympics then it's quite hard to focus on it to some extent," Grainger told Tuesday's Sportswomen show on Sky Sports News HQ live from Rio.

Anna Watkins (R) and Grainger celebrate winning gold at London 2012

"I knew there was going to be a lot of physical and mental challenges coming back to being a full-time athlete and getting myself back to where I needed to be - and my standards and expectations were higher than they have ever been.

"The first year was tough but this last year was also tough because of the uncertainty and the selection issues - I didn't know what boat I was going to be in or if I was even going to be in a boat.

"This medal was the adversity medal. It was the hardest and the toughest one to keep believing that it might be possible to come back and win."

Resource: skysports.com