Team Ireland’s boxing super star Kellie Harrington has won Olympic GOLD (60kg Lightweight) beating China’s Wenlu Yang 4-1 in Paris tonight, to retain the Olympic title she won in Tokyo.

Ireland’s Kellie Harrington was the first boxing champion crowned at Paris 2024, in the purpose built ring at the iconic Roland Garris stadium, with an audience of 15,000 cheering her on.

Harrington already made history in Paris last Wednesday by becoming the first Irish woman ever to win medals at two Olympic Games. 

Tonight, 34-year-old Kellie Harrington of Portland Row in Dublin becomes the first Irish woman ever to win back to back Olympic gold medals.

By being the first Irish boxer ever to contest, and win, back to back Olympic finals Kellie Harrington of St. Mary’s BC in Tallaght becomes the most successful Irish boxer in our 100 year history at the Olympic Games. 

Harrington’s Paris 2024 GOLD is the 19th Irish Olympic medal won in the sport of boxing.

Afterwards an overjoyed Harrington spoke of what it meant: “It just gives hope. All these young kids all these teenagers, it give hope to them, it gives hope to the people of Ireland, that’s what it means, but this one was for me.

On the plan Harrington said it was to: “just be happy – happy, smile and enjoy it. It’s the last hurrah –  I’m done, I’ve always said that I want to retire a champion – that’s it!” 

Harrington gave a masterful display in round one, switching her stance constantly, and expertly deflecting anything that came her way to win it 4-1 on the scoreboard.

She slipped and momentarily hit the deck early in the second but still won it 4- 1. Harrington totally dominated the final round again on a 4-1 score line to win the bout 4-1 on points, and make Irish Olympic history, celebrating then with a very special ring dance, joined by long-time head coach Zuari Anita.

Only three other Irish athletes have won back to back Olympics gold medals; Hammer thrower Dr. Pat O’Callaghan was the very first to do it back in 1928 and 1932, with rowers Fintan McCarthy and Paul O’Donovan repeating the feat with their 2020 win, and by becoming Olympic champions in Paris. Kellie Harrington now joins that exclusive club.

Ireland is assured of at least 5 European School Championship medals, following action of the first of two days of quarter finals.

44kg Alannah Murphy has secured at least a bronze medal, having secured a Round 1 RSC win over Yeva Grigoryan of Armenia. She’ll contest her semi-final on Thursday. 46kg Aleigha Murphy contested her quarter final against Lily Green of England and will join her sister Alanna as a medalist, and semi finalist. Aleigha claimed a 4-1 split decision win. Judges scored the bout 28:29; 28:29; 27:30; 28:29; 29:28. 54kg Vanessa Doyle made her tournament debut against Aleksandra Balbina of Poland and will box for silver on Thursday – she secured a 4-1 victory over her opponent. The final scores: 28:29; 27:30; 27:30; 27:30; 27:30. 57kg Ruth Dossen, contesting her second bout of the tournament, is also now a medalist. and in She took on Russia’s Sofiia Titova, and came away with a 4-1. 64kg Robin O’Reilly returned to action against Iustina Anufrieva, Russia and will come home with at least a bronze medal, following a 5-0 decision: 30:27; 30:27; 30:27;30:27; 29:28.

40kg Alanna Berry contested for a medal against England’s Summer Griggs – the bout ended in a Round 1 RSC, in favour of the English boxer. 42kg Kenia Prado, boxing her first bout of the tournament, met Turkey’s Pehlivan Ceylin. Kenia put in a brave performance, but the 5-0 decision went to her opponent on a score-line of 30:27; 30:27; 30:27; 30:27; 30:27. A brave performance by 34kg-36kg Danielle Smithers, who opened her campaign against Vittoria Miliani of Italy. The 5-0 decision went to her opponent, on a score-line of 30:26; 29:28; 30:27; 30:27; 30:27. 60kg Roisin Hegarty began her campaign against Russia’s Varvara Parshikova, and won’t progress following a dreaded 3-2 split. The scores 30:27; 30:27; 28:29; 28:29; 28:29. 70kg Ellie May Lawlor contested against Turkey’s Nisa Kaya – Ellie May put in a courageous performance, but the 5-0 decision went to her opponent. Judges scored the bout 26:30; 26:30; 27:30; 25:30; 26:30. 80kg Noel Martin opened his championships against Azerbaijan’s Yusif Aghakishiyev – and bows out following a Round 1 RSC.

Day Five

The programme for August 7th hasn’t been released at the time of writing, but in quarter finals action will be

In Bout 12 of Ring A’s Afternoon Session, 48kg Christy Joyce contests his quarter final against Russia’s Khamzat Fargiev. Over in Ring B’s Bout 10, 50kg Francis Maughan boxes for a medal against Georgia’s Mirian Voloshin

In Ring A’s Evening Session, 70kg Dominic Barrett is back in action against Turkey’s Ibrahim Taksin – that’s bout 11, while 75kg Ethan Duffy gets his campaign underway against Lithuania’s Emilis Kavaliunas

Watch

The EUBC is streaming the tournament on its YouTube channel. Links will become available on the day of boxing.

The Afternoon Session begins at 2pm, Irish time; the Evening Session at 5pm.

Team Ireland

36kg Danielle Smithers (Swords)

38kg Kayla Harris (St Monicas)

40kg Alanna Berry (Crumlin)

42kg Kenia Flood Prado (Glasnevin)

44kg Alannah Murphy (Crumlin)

46kg Aleigha Murphy (Crumlin)

48kg Maggie McDonagh (Mullingar Elite)

51kg Ella Archbold (Ballybrack) Team Co-Captain

54kg Vanessa Doyle (Templemore)

57kg Ruth Dossen (Olympic C)

60kg Roisin Hegarty (Illies GG)

64kg Robin O’Reilly (Monkstown D)

70kg Ellie May Lawlor (Brian Dillons)

40kg Rylee Finn (St Nicholas)

42kg Emmet Shields (Glasnevin)

44kg Sean Kelly (St Abbans Kilmyshall)

46kg Jack Jones (Sacred Heart D)

48kg Christy Joyce (Olympic L)

50kg Francis Maughan (Olympic C)

52kg Connor Lowry (East Down)

54kg Tadhg Brennan Tansey (Baldoyle)

57kg Michael Mullaney (Claremorris) Team Co-Captain

60kg Ruairi Walker (St John Bosco A)

63kg Jamie Herbert Jacob (Kilcullen)

66kg Charlie Dixon (Enniscorthy)

70kg Dominic Barrett (Titans)

75kg Ethan Duffy (Aglish)

80kg Noel Martin (West End)

90kg Michael J McDonagh (Tredagh)

Team Managers: Stephen Connolly & Jennifer O’Sullivan Coffey

Coaches: Amanda Spencer, Paul Simpson, Ralph McKay, Tommy O’Donnell

R&J: Loughlin Gannon

Draws are available here

Day One results are available here

Day Two results are available here

Day Three results are available here

Session 13A results

Session 14B

Session 15A results

Session 16B

IABA is re-platforming the calendar of Safeguarding One workshops for 2024. All adults – coaches, committee members and non-coaching volunteers – in every club who have contact with children are required to have undertaken Safeguarding 1.

Two courses will take place every month, March to November. Acknowledging that club members have a variety of schedules and that no one time will be best for all, a percentage of courses will take place in the evenings, a percentage during weekday lunchtimes and a percentage on Saturdays. Workshops on Safeguarding 2 and Safeguarding 3 will be made available later in 2024.

Book your place here

In keeping with Sport Ireland best practice in Safeguarding training, workshops will be limited to 16 participants. In keeping with norms across the sporting community, the cost for this workshop is E15. Registration for each course will close 2 days before the date, and those who’ve registered will be sent payment information. The participation reservation will expire if payment is not received by 5pm on the scheduled day of the workshop.

Refresher

For all club members who have completed Safeguarding 1 training, but who wish to refresh their knowledge, the online Sport Ireland Safeguarding 1 refresher course is available here

Additional Information: For any additional information, please contact IABA’s National Safeguarding Manager, Stephen Flynn, at stephen@iaba.ie

IABA is preparing to tender for the provision of an online system which clubs will use to affiliate, submit competition entries, book courses and other club-related business. IABA intends for any new system to evolve beyond the uses of the current online system.

IABA is inviting two suitably qualified members to sit on the CRM Working Group. The Working Group’s primary goal will be to set out how any new system will meet the needs of boxing clubs, with a key focus on ease of use. This Working Group may:

1. Conduct a SWOT analysis of the existing system
2. Engage in research on CRMs in use in similar or comparable settings
3. Input in to the pre-tender, tender and post-tender processes.
4. Have input in to the implementation and roll-out of any new system.

Members wishing to express their interest in being part of the CRM Working Group should:

1. Be a member of a successfully affiliated club for the current season
2. Be named in their club’s Blocworx portal
3. Be in good standing and, fulfill any two of the following:

              Be a sport administration

              Have professional experience in use of CRM systems

              Have professional IT or UX experience

Members considering expressing interest to be part of the CRM Working Group are advised:

1. Meetings will not begin until September
2. The Working Group is expected to meet up to twice monthly, or as otherwise required, for a period of 6 months.
3. An indicative meetings calendar will be provided
4. Membership of the Working Group may involve limited international travel

Expressions of Interest may be made here: https://shout.com/s/Xkjx92Fu

The closing date is 5pm on Tuesday, August 6^th.

Reigning Olympic champion Kellie Harrington makes history today, by becoming the first Team Ireland boxer to contest two successive Olympic finals.

She’s already joined Paddy Barnes (bronze, Beijing 2008 and bronze, London 2012) as the only two Irish boxers with two Olympic medals.

Kellie set up tonight’s historic final with a 4-1 victory over Beatriz Ferreira 4-1. That bout was a re-run of the Tokyo lightweight final, when Kellie came home with gold. Ferreira is a two-time world champion (2019, 2023) and a 2022 world silver medalist who also won the IBF world lightweight title in a burgeoning professional career.

“It feels fantastic to get that fight out of the way because Bea is a fantastic opponent and, since Tokyo, she’s gone on to do great things in the professional ranks. I felt like I was the underdog in there today and I knew she had a point to prove,” Harrington said.

“All anyone’s been talking about is you’re going to meet Beatriz but that might never have happened. Now it has happened and thankfully it turned out the way it did. I’ve no idea if I fought better than in Tokyo but I enjoyed it more, “ she added.

“I just feel happy and I think the happiness is because I’m coming to the end of the road and I just know there’s life at the end of the tunnel.

Informed that she had just secured the 100th win of her brilliant career Harrington said: “I didn’t know that but it seems right doesn’t it, as this is the 100th anniversary of Ireland taking part in the Olympic Games!”

Harrington’s place in history now rests on tonight’s late night’s final against Wenlu Yang (China), which takes place in tennis’ iconic Roland-Garros Stadium. The Chinese woman, a world bronze medalist last year, beat Taipei’s Shih Yi Wu 5-0 in the other semi-final, and beat Harrington in the 64kg final of the World Championships in 2016, but they haven’t met since.

They’re due in the ring at 10:06pm, Irish time.

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