Kellie Harrington has become the first woman, and the third Team Ireland member in a century, to win Olympic medals at successive games.
Only three other Irish athletes – two-time hammer champion Dr Pat O’Callaghan, boxer Paddy Barnes and rower Paul O’Donovan – have ever won medals at two separate Olympic Games, so the 34-year-old Dubliner has already joined a very exclusive club.
She is the first Irish woman to do it, and will now attempt to make the metal even more precious, when she returns to the ring for her semi-final on Saturday evening (August 3rd) against the winner of tonight’s bout between Beatriz Ferreira (who Harrington beat in the Tokyo Olympic final), and Chelsey Heijnen of Netherlands.
Kellie, the defending Tokyo lightweight champion, contested for a a podium place against 24 year old Colombian, Angie Paola Valdes Pana – she’s a 2023 World and Panamerican silver medalist, and won through to the quarter finals by virtue of a 3-2 split win over Kosovo’s Donjeta Sadiku. Kellie put on another masterclass of control, ringcraft, conditioning and technical skill – winning by UD, on a scoreline of 30:27; 29:28; 30:27; 29:28; 30:27.
“You don’t have time to think about what you’ve just done. You just think about what’s next. I’m very happy with my performances, I’m very proud of myself, I’m just glad to be here and doing what I love/hate to do, hate-to-love, love-to-hate.
“I’ve just been in my bubble. I know Mona and Daniel medalled but I’ve literally been in my bubble for the last five-six weeks. I’m just doing what I do. I’m just taking each day as it comes. I’m just enjoying it. This Olympics is about me enjoying it. About me doing it for me and me being happy again. I’m happy in what I’m doing and I’ve said it from day one; whatever happens happens. I came out here on the 29th and stepped into the ring and stepped back out of the ring and became a double Olympian. That is history and I’m very, very proud of myself.
“Today I became a double Olympic medallist and that’s more history. I just know I have people up above looking down on me and they’re with me every step of the way. I won’t look back at the fight, I don’t need to. I trust my own coaches. We just try and stick to a plan. We give it what we have and if it works it works and if it doesn’t.
“It is just sport. This does not define me as a person. It’s fantastic, I’ve made history but I’m Kellie Harrington, I’m Kellie Harrington who’s a good person and that’s what I’m going to be known as.”
Earlier, Jude Gallagher fulfilled a dream sparked when he was just 8 years old – that of becoming an Olympian. Jude had a bye, and met Tokyo flyweight silver medalist, Carlo Paalam, of the Philippines. He’s contested at flyweight, bantamweight and now feather. Palaam has an Asian Games bronze medal at fly, and and Asian Championship gold at bantam. Jude held his opponent to two 3-2 rounds, and, despite a stormer of a 3rd round, the 5-0 decision when to Paalam, on a scoreline of: 29:28; 30:27; 29:28; 29:28; 29:28
“It’s an uphill battle when you don’t get the first round but you just have to stay composed and stick to the game plan and I did that,” Gallagher said. “I couldn’t get too eager or aggressive because he was countering me with that big, overhand right so I had to be cautious going forward. I thought the fight was closer than the scorecard made it out to be but I’ve no complaints.
“It’s a bit disappointing but this is where I want to be, sharing a ring with the best in the world. Carlo was a Tokyo silver medallist and that’s where you want to be, fighting the best of the best on the world’s biggest stage.
“This has been an incredible experience, everything I thought it would be and more. I had a bit of a wait to get involved, I was just itching to get out there and I came today to do my very best and feel I can leave with my head held high.”
Tonight, Four time continental champion 75kg Aoife O’Rourke, is seeded 2nd. She begins her second Olympic campaign at last 16 stage against Poland’s Elisabeta Wojcik – they’ve met four times before, and Aoife has been the victor on all occasions. Aoife boxes in the Evening Session and is expected in the ring at 8.52pm, Irish time.
All results and schedules are available here.
Tournament Schedule
Boxing from July 27th to August 3rd takes place at the North Paris Arena. Boxing from August 4th to 10th takes place at Roland Garros. August 5th is a rest day at the tournament.
Morning sessions begin at 10am, Irish time.
Afternoon sessions begin at 2.30pm, Irish time
Evening sessions begin at 7pm, Irish time.
July 27th Round of 32: W54kg, W60kg, M63.5kg & M80kg.
July 28th Round of 32: W50kg, W66kg, M57kg, M71kg, M92kg % M92+kg.
July 29th Last 16 in M63.5, 92 & 92+kg, and W60kg
July 30th Last 16 in M51 & M80kg, and W54 & W57kg
July 31st Last 16 M57 & 71kg, and W75kg, plus QF of W60kg
August 1st QF of M63.5 & 92kg, last 16 W50 & 66kg, QF of W54kg
August 2nd QF of M51, 80 & +92kg, and last 16 W57kg
August 3rd QF of M57 & 71kg, and W50 & 66kg, SF of W60kg
August 4th SF of M51, 63.5, 80 & 92kg,QF W57 & 75kg, SF of W54kg
August 5th rest day
August 6th SF of M71kg, SF W50 & 66kg, and W60kg final
August 7th SF M92+kg & W57kg, Finals of M63.5 & 80kg
August 8th SF M57kg & W75kg, Finals M51kg and W54kg
August 9th Finals of M71 & 92kg, Finals of W50 & 66kg
August 10th Finals of M57 & 92+kg, Finals of W57 & 75kg
Draws
All draws are available here and here
Watch
RTE will have significant coverage of the Games on RTE 2, RTE Player, online, on Radio and through the RTE app. Full details are available here
The full Games streaming service for all sports is here:
https://www.discoveryplus.com/ie/olympics/sport/boxing
Team Ireland Boxing
Athletes:
Kellie Harrington (Dublin) Women’s 60kg
Aidan Walsh (Belfast) Men’s 71kg
Aoife O’Rourke (Castlerea) Women’s -75kg
Daina Moorehouse (Bray) Women’s -50kg
Dean Clancy (Sligo) Men’s 63.5kg
Grainne Walsh (Tullamore) Women’s -66kg
Jude Gallagher (Newtownstewart, Co. Tyrone) Men’s -57kg
Jennifer Lehane (Ashbourne, Co. Meath) Women’s -54kg
Jack Marley (Sallynoggin, Dublin) Men’s -92kg
Michaela Walsh (Belfast) Women’s -57kg
Staff:
Tricia Heberle – Performance Director & Team Leader
Zauri Antia – Head Coach
Damian Kennedy – Coach
Lynne McEnery – Coach
James Doyle – Coach
Jim Clover – Doctor
Lorcan McGee – Physio
Paula Fitzpatrick – Physiologist