Katie Taylor, John Joe Nevin and Michael Conlan occupy top-three positions in the new AIBA World rankings.

Taylor, Nevin and Conlan into top three - and Barnes is back in the top ten

Three Irish boxers have improved their positions in the first AIBA World men’s and women’s rankings released after the 2012 Olympics in London.

Katie Taylor, who is heading into her seventh year as World number one, John Joe Nevin and Michael Conlan occupy top-three positions.

Two-time Olympic medalist Paddy Barnes – who vanished from the AIBA rankings just before the Olympic Games because the points he accumulated from his gold medal win at the 2010 European Championships were discounted because of the two-year rolling period from which the rankings are based – is back in at number seven.

Taylor, who won double gold at the AIBA World Women’s Championships and Olympic Games this year, has opened up a massive 2,200 point lead over Russian southpaw Sofya Ochigava.

Taylor

It’s hard to improve on being number one they say, but  the Bray woman has even managed to do that as she has improved to  4,500 points at the summit of the lightweight table. Ochigava is at number two on 2,300 points.

Two-time AIBA World medalist John Joe Nevin, a silver medal winner at London 2012, improves one place to number three in the world. Cuba’s Lazaro Alvarez, the current World champion, who Nevin beat in the Olympic semi-final is at number two.

England’s Luke Campbell, who beat Nevin in the 2012 Olympic final, is at number one.

Meantime, Belfast flyweight Michael Conlan, a bronze medal winner at London 2012, improves six places to number three in the world at 52kg, locked on 1,400 points with Cuba’s Robeisy Ramirez, who beat the Irish Elite champion en route to gold at London 2012.

Kilkenny middleweight Darren O’Neill, who captained the Irish team at the London Olympics, drops four places from 7 to 11, while current European light-welter and light-heavy champions Ray Moylette and Joe Ward are at 8 and 11.

Current Olympic champion, Russia’s Egor Mekhonstev, who Ward comfortably beat in the 2012 Chemistry Cup final, is at number one. AIBA rankings are based on performances at the Olympics, World Championships, Continental Championships and World Youth Championships over a two-year rolling period.

Olympic, World, Continental and World Youth gold medalists earn 1,300, 1,200, 800 and 800 points. Silver medalists receive 900,800,600 and 600 points, while bronze medalists earn 800/750,700/650, 500/450 and 500/450 points.

Boxers beaten at the semi-final – both losing semi-finals are guaranteed bronze – stages in any of the ranking tournaments by eventual gold medalists pick up 50 points more than the other bronze medalists as they officially finish third.

Likewise, Barnes and Conlan officially finished third in their respective  weight classes at London 2012 as they were beaten by the eventual Olympic champions.

Visit www.aiba.org for complete rankings.