The decision to let them fight in three weights means that all 26 sports that will be held in London are now available to men and women.

 

 

Taylor, the 22-year-old world, European and European Union lightweight champion, has already been installed as 1/8 by one bookmaker to win a gold medal in London.

 

She said: "I’m absolutely thrilled.

 

"This is a dream come true, not only for me, but for female boxers throughout the world who have worked so hard to gain Olympic status."

 

Taylor, who has been fighting since she was 15, is regarded pound-for-pound as the best female boxer in the world.

 

Ireland's Sports Minister Martin Cullen said: "This certainly augurs well for the future of women’s boxing.

 

"Ireland’s Katie Taylor, who has been a dominant force in this field in recent years, will no doubt excel in this arena.

 

"Katie has numerous European and world titles to her name and I have every confidence that in 2012 she will add an Olympic gold to her cache."
 

Canada's Mary Spencer, also a two-time world champion, in the middleweight division, was also thrilled with the news.

 

She said: “We’re so used to getting bad news.

 

"For the day to finally come, it’s huge.

 

“It’s also a bit of a relief because we no longer have to wonder if we’re going to go.”

 

Women’s Olympic-style boxing is practised in more than 120 countries by an estimated 500,000 athletes.

 

Women will compete at three weights in London - flyweight (48-51kg), lightweight (56-60kg) and middleweight (69-75kg) - with 12 boxers taking part at each weight.

 

Spencer said: “There’s only three weight classes, but hopefully there’s five or six [in 2016]."

 

India's Mary Kom (pictured), a mother of two and a four-time world flyweight champion, is also dreaming of glory at London 2012.

 

She said: “We’ve been waiting for this for a long, long time.

 

"It’s a dream come true for me.

 

"Every athlete’s dream is to compete in the Olympics, and I’m elated we’ve been given a chance.

 

"It cannot get bigger than this. I have to win gold.

 

“It’s all about motivation.

 

"If this had not happened, I would have competed for another two years but my dream would’ve died."

 

England women's coach Mick Gannon, meanwhile, expects the popularity of female boxing to explode following its inclusion in the Olympics.

 

He said: "It's fantastic.

 

"What we'll see now is young ladies knocking down the doors at boxing gyms.

 

"There is going to be a big jump from other combat sports into boxing and it is already the fastest-growing sport in England.

 

"Numbers-wise it has increased by about 700 per cent in five or six years.

 

"Like any sport you have a drop-off but now they will have the opportunity to go on and become superstars."

 

"There is the dinosaur brigade who say women should be at the kitchen sink but modern society doesn't work like that.

 

"Women's boxing is here to stay.

 

"We're going to have a lot of knockers but when people see what an art it is, a lot will change their opinions."

 

Nicola Adams, one of Britain's top female fighters, said: "I heard [2004 Olympic silver medallist] Amir Khan say he wasn't a fan of women's boxing.

 

"I was a bit disappointed about that because I have met him a couple of times.

 

"But I would just say, it is okay not to like something but don't be against others doing it.

 

"Everyone should be allowed to do what they are happy doing."

 

Adams was one of Britain's star performers at the World Championships in China last year and will now have high hopes of shining in London.

 

She said: "I won a silver medal at the World Championships but this decision tops that. Words cannot describe how happy I am.

 

"This is what we have all been waiting for.

 

"To be able to represent Great Britain is fantastic and the fact it is in England makes it even better."

 

Gannon has no doubt the English boxers will perform well on home turf.

 

He said: "It wasn't too long ago our girls were regarded as second rate, now we are rated as one of the top nations in the world.

 

"They are just getting better and better and we have four or five world-rated boxers."