Boxing-Adams secures chance to defend title at Rio Olympics

LONDON, April 15 (Reuters) - British flyweight Nicola Adams, the first female boxer to win an Olympic title, secured her place at the Rio Games on Friday by reaching the final in her weight division at a European qualifying event in Turkey. The 33-year-old London 2012 gold medallist outscored Norway's Marielle Hansen in the 48-51kg semi-finals in Samsun. The top two women in each of three divisions qualify for the Rio Games. Women's boxing was first included in the Olympic programme at the 2012 Games. Adams, who was also the first female boxer to win gold at the Commonwealth Games, now has a chance to become the first Briton since Harry Mallin in 1924 to win two Olympic boxing gold medals. Mallin won the middleweight title in Antwerp in 1920 and retained it in Paris four years later. Unbeaten as an amateur, the London policeman never fought as a professional. While Adams progressed, Ireland's Olympic lightweight (60kg) champion Katie Taylor suffered a shock defeat -- her first loss in nearly five years. Beaten by Azerbaijan's Yana Alekseevna, she will have another chance to qualify at the world championships in Kazakhstan in May. (Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Ed Osmond)