Irish Olympic Champion Katie Taylor has been given a bye to the quarter-finals of the women's lightweight boxing at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Taylor is one of five boxers, including Irish flag bearer and Olympic bronze medallist Paddy Barnes, who have been handed byes after the draw at the Teatro Berdasco in Rio.
Defending champion Taylor will face either and Finland's Mira Potkonen or Brazil's Adriana Araujo at the quarter-final stage on Monday 15 August.
Taylor could face Azerbaijan's Yana Alekseevna, who ended her long unbeaten streak in the semi-finals of the European qualifying tournament earlier this year, in the semi-finals, before potentially meeting Estelle Mossely, who ended her reign as world champion, for gold.
Men's Light-flyweight Barnes will also join the action at the last 16 stage where he will be in ring with a yet to be determined opponent on Monday 8 August.
Barnes will face the winner of the preliminary bout between Samuel Carmona Heredia of Spain and Armenia's Artur Hovhassinyan.
Michael Conlan is another to have received a bye to the last 16 in the men's Bantamweight and he will face either Japan's Arashi Morisaka or Armenian Aram Avagyan on Sunday 14 August.
Middleweight Michael O’Reilly and Light-heavyweight Joe Ward has also received byes.
Flyweight Brendan Irvine will be in first-round action against Shakhobiddi Zoirov of Uzbekistan and will strongly fancy himself to progress.
Likewise David Oliver Joyce will expect to get past Andrique Allisop of the Seychelles in the first round of the Lightweight class.
Welterweight Steven Donnelly rounds out the draw and he will take on Zouhir Kedache of Algeria in the first round.
RTÉ boxing commentator and analyst Mick Dowling believes that whatever the draw, Irish boxers have a very strong chance of bringing home medals.
"Michael Conlan has a really huge chance of medalling," he told RTÉ. "Paddy Barnes again can perhaps do it. Joe Ward, who knows what he can do.
"If you look at Irvine, a very technical fighter and Donnelly is very good," he added.
5/8 Irish boxers receive bye in #Rio2016 #boxing draw. Here's the full result for #TeamIreland pic.twitter.com/PF3c3Lz9fL
— Team Ireland (@olympiccouncil) August 4, 2016
