‘It is the best feeling ever’ - Kellie Harrington clinches spot in gold medal fight with masterclass
Declared The ©inpho/ryan 60kg Winner In Beatriz Celebrates Olympic Her Harrington Byrne Final Being Against Semi Kellie After Ferreira Ireland’s Picture:
All heart. Kellie Harrington exited the ring and took one look at her Irish team-mates and supporters celebrating ecstatically in the corner of the North Paris Arena. With tears streaming down her face, she clutched her hands together and gave thanks. They continued to shower her with praise.
How well deserved. In a rematch of the gold medal fight from Tokyo, Harrington beat Beatriz ‘The Beast’ Ferreira 4-1 on the judges’ scorecard. It was a clinical display of pure ring craft by a boxer seemingly in her element.
“I am absolutely loving it. If you saw me in the village, you’d have to tell my face to remind me to enjoy it, that is the only thing,” she said post-fight.
“I am enjoying it. It is a very, very lonely sport. The last mile is never crowded. It is lonely. A lot of times I don’t cross… The building I go down to the food hall and back to the room or else down to the physio. That is it. If you can imagine three weeks of that, it gets lonely.
“When I come out here and I am in the ring I am happy. When I get into that ring, I am allowed to be the craziest version of myself. It is unbelievable. It is the best feeling ever because nobody is judging me. Well maybe they are I don't know. But I just love that feeling. As much as I say I'm going to be retired, I don't know what I am going to do as that feeling is going to be gone.”
Ferreira promised to be stronger as well as more experienced three years on in her search for revenge against the Dubliner. Since 2021, she has joined Eddie Hearns’ Matchroom professional stable, under the management of Brian Peters. The paid ranks are different for a reason. Styles make fights and at the Olympics, Harrington’s style is superior.
“I enjoyed it more than I enjoyed Tokyo,” she said. “I just feel happy. To be honest, I think the happiness is because I am coming to the end of the road. I think I just know there is life at the end of the tunnel.”
The Brazilian staked a claim for centre ring from the opening bell and clipped Harrington during the Irish woman’s first stance switch. A gripping and highly technical contest, Harrington soon began to pick her points as she navigated the ring against a rival desperate to stand toe-to-toe. She led on every card except one as they returned to their respective corners.
With a surge, the game challenger briefly pinned Harrington to the ropes at the start of the second. Somewhat peculiarly, that wild front-foot approach reaped reward with the judges scoring it 3-2 in her favour. Harrington’s skill was still evident throughout that spell. First came a terrific body shot, then a stinging spinout hook. They stood and exchanged before the break, but Ferreira’s efforts were off target.
The final 30 seconds of that round were pure mastery by the Irish corner. She slipped a right cross and stung with her hook again. Harrington’s final punch featured a feint left jab into the air and a right driven to the body.
A gulf became clear in the third. At one point Ferreira ended up facing the complete wrong direction, clamping down on Harrington’s arm to save herself from an onslaught. The heavy-hitter did eventually land consecutive lefts during a close exchange, Harrington tapped her side before they separated and smiled.
The final verdict duly to the red corner. For the first time all night, Harrington was unsure what to do. She dropped to her knees, she got up and danced, she wrapped her opponent in an warm embrace, gently kissing her cheek.
She already made history by becoming the Irish woman to win medals at two Olympic Games. Now the 34-year-old is one step away from joining Fintan McCarthy, Paul O’Donovan and Dr Pat O’Callaghan as the only Irish athletes to successfully defend an Olympic title.
The top seed, China’s Wenlu Yang, awaits in the final. They previously boxed in the 2016 Women’s World Boxing C64kg final with Yang prevailing on a points decision. It will take place on Tuesday at the Roland-Garros Stadium.
“To me it is another arena and another opponent. Whatever will be, will be. I just want to be happy. I just want to be happy. I am already happy; I want to stay happy.”