Kellie Harrington’s Career in MEDALS
Kellie Harrington called time on her International career today.
The Dublin star won her second Olympic gold medal after defeating China’s Wenlu Yang in the lightweight final in Paris on Tuesday night – and she believes the historic moment provides the perfect sunset to her boxing career.
Speaking to Morning Ireland this morning, the history maker said “I know now, that’s it, done, dusted and what a way to go out.”
Becoming a double Olympic gold medal winner means she exits stage left with sporting immortality secured. However, Harrington’s boxing career has been about much more than her historic Olympic achievement.
The community work and her willingness to give back means she has always been a brilliant ambassador for the sport but her success in the ring gave her the platform to represent boxing so well.
Over a long career, Harrington has won 11 Elite National Championships – a record she holds with Michaela Walsh – and has claimed 10 senior International medals for Ireland.
The St Mary’s boxer, who began her career at Corinthians BC, first blipped on the radar in 2006 when she claimed an Intermediate crown.
The 34-year-old first major international experience came when she wore the Irish crest in the 2008 EU Championships, where she lost at the quarter-final stage to Larisa Ruso.
A first Elite title came in 2010 thanks to a win over Jessica Lyons less than five months after she had claimed U21 success by defeating Ciara Farher.
It took a further six years for the boxer, who registered 101 wins across her career, to register a major international breakthrough came in 2016, as the Inner City star claimed sensational sliver at the World Championships in Astana.
Harrington won four fights to reach the final, where she lost to her 2024 Olympic final foe Yang.
The now legendary boxer exited the Europeans at the prelim stage but was back on the podium in Italy a year later, claiming a silver medal in the lightweight division at the 2017 Women’s European Union Boxing Championships. Mira Potkonen, a fighter known for breaking Irish hearts, preventing her from winning gold.
The Fin then knocked Harrington out of the 2018 European Championships at the quarter-final stage, meaning she came home with bronze.
A first international gold came later that year, as Harrington joined Katie Taylor and Michael Conlan on a unique list of Irish amateur world champions. To claim that gold in India, the switch-hitting stylist had to win no fewer than five fights.
European Games silver was the next added to the trophy cabinet in 2019 before Olympic gold was secured in Tokyo 2021.
Harrington then completed the golden hat trick when she won gold at the European Championships gold in Budva in 2022 completing the set and joining Katie Taylor as a European, World and Olympic gold medal winner.
A historic Olympic gold was added last Tuesday bringing the International tally to a perfect 10.
