Team GB boxer Sandy Ryan booked her spot in the semi-finals of the 2015 European Games with victory over Azerbaijan's Elena Vystropova on Tuesday.
Ryan, who won silver at the 2014 World Championships, showed her class in the latter stages of the fight to edge out the home favourite in Baku.
The 21-year-old Brit will now face Anastasiia Beliakova, who beat Ryan in the final of the Worlds in 2014, in the semi-finals on Thursday.
Shortly after guaranteeing herself at least a bronze medal at the inaugural European Games, Ryan spoke to Sports Mole.
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Vystropova had a significant height advantage in that fight. What were the tactics out there?
"My tactics were to keep it long and move my head, but when I managed to get in there, let my shots go. Sometimes it was difficult when she was holding, but I just had to stay calm, otherwise they would have given the fight to her."
Sandy, you have come so far in such a short space of time. Do you ever stop and think just how much you have done within the space of a year?
"I was speaking to my coach in the changing rooms and he asked me: 'what were you doing this time last year?'. I was part-time on the GB squad and I was training just weekends. I was not doing much, but now it is full-on and full-time. I just love the sport and I couldn't be in a better place."
How are you feeling fitness-wise following a serious leg injury?
"Yeah I had a stress fracture to my right leg. I was training a lot and only coming home at weekends. I should have been resting and I wasn't. I thought that the European Games would have been out, but I got back about five, six weeks ago and I have trained so hard for it."
Matt Law
