Kellie Harrington has confirmed that the Olympics in Paris next summer will be her last as a competitor.
The reigning lightweight gold medalist from Tokyo 2020, who will be 34-years-old when the boxing begins in the French capital, hopes to defend her title and step away as the only Irish athlete since hammer thrower Dr Pat O’Callaghan in 1928 and 1932 to successfully defend an Olympic title.
Katie Taylor had hoped to win a second gold medal in Rio 2016 after winning the first lightweight title at London 2012.
But in a controversial boxing event that was later shown in the McLaren Report to have been corrupted, she was beaten on a split decision by Finland’s Mira Potkonen, a boxer against whom she had never previously lost.
“This will be it,” said Harrington. “This will be the last one. After these Olympics, if I qualify, I will be out the gap and will be waving people on, watching the new guard coming behind me, the likes of Avra Henry and Sean Mari.
“They are a great group of talented hungry young Irish boxers coming up and that gives me excitement that when I do hang up the gloves, I will be able to sit back and enjoy it and watch the new generation. I know that Irish boxing will be in safe hands because there is some talented, talented people coming through.”
Harrington was not at the current World Championships, which finished at the weekend in Delhi, due to a dispute between the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and governing body of boxing the International Boxing Association (IBA).
The increasingly bitter row has already threatened boxing’s place in the roster of the LA Olympics. It is currently not included. For a number of reasons, Ireland and 18 national federations, including Britain and the USA, decided not to send a team to India, where the championships were being held.
Ignoring Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and recommendations by the IOC to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes from competing under their national flags or for their anthems to be played, the IBA under Russia’s Umar Kremlev allowed the boxers to compete with no restrictions. The IOC also have issues regarding transparency and governance in the sport.
The decision not to travel also deprived Irish boxers of the chance of winning prize money of $100,000 for a gold medal, $50,000 for silver and $25,000 for bronze.
Ireland’s Amy Broadhurst and Lisa O’Rourke won the top prize at the last World Championships in Istanbul, the first time money was on offer for medals.
“For me, because I’ve been there and done it, to miss this one, I didn’t feel that hard done by, even though there was a lot of money on the line,” said Harrington.
“It would be nice to have that in the back pocket of course. But for other people who could have had the chance, I did feel sorry for them.
“If I wanted that money, I could have just turned professional. That has never been my purpose. It has never been money. There are only a few people who will get money like that. It would have been nice to have it. It is what it is.
“There is no assurance that if we had been out at that tournament that I would have got any money at all. Shit happens. I could have been out there and had a bad day. That is life.”
Harrington won her 2018 lightweight gold medal in Delhi. Now all focus is directed towards qualifying for Paris. Champions do not get a free passage into the following Games. She and other Irish hopefuls must travel to the European Games in Poland this summer for the first of the qualification events.
Far from assuming she can get through the qualifiers, she is cautiously optimistic. In the past, she has seen other assured boxers fall. Taylor’s exit in Rio was a case in point.
“I’ve seen it before with Katie and other people in the past, that people automatically put a gold medal on them and that’s not the way it is,” said Harrington.
“I tend to like being realistic with myself. I understand that there are people coming up behind me in other countries and here. I know I’ve a target on my back. I’m there to be beaten and people are hungry.”
Harrington admits that making the weight gets more difficult with age and that her detail is being carefully managed to avoid constantly stressing her body by cutting weight.
In a recent Bulgarian tournament in Strandja, she fought at 63 kilos, three kilos over the Olympic lightweight limit of 60. Making the limit when it matters will not be an issue.
“I’m not getting any younger and staying on for these Paris Games, we kind of sat down and had a discussion after Tokyo on how I would be managed,” said Harrington speaking as an ambassador at the launch of the €60,000 SPAR 60th Community Fund.
“Now, it’s not impossible or really, really, really hard. But it is hard. Making weight is hard. Being a woman making weight and stuff like that and of age – of age! You’d think I was over the hill the way I’m talking.”
