Katie Taylor booked her place at this summer's Olympics by reaching the quarter-finals of the Women's World Championships in Qinhuangdao.

The Irish fighter stopped Saida Khassenova in the fourth round of their lightweight bout in an event which doubles up as the qualifiers for the debut of women's boxing at the Games.

A left hook midway through the second round led to the Kazakh taking a standing count and by the end of the third Taylor had eased into a 20-8 lead.

In the end the judged weren't required to settle the outcome, another clinical flurry of punches in the fourth bringing about an early finish.

Dream

"It means everything to me, it's a dream," she said about booking her place at the Olympics. "It will be a dream come true for me.

"This is what boxing's all about, it's the biggest stage of all and it would be an honour to represent my country there."

Taylor is aiming to be crowned world champion for a fourth time in one of only three weight classes that will be in action in London.

She will next meet Mihaela Lacatus after the Romanian beat Denitsa Eliseeva of Bulgaria 17-14.