KELLIE Harrington has her eyes on joining one of boxing’s most exclusive clubs after cruising into an Olympic semi-final yesterday – with a familiar foe lying in wait in the last four.
Wednesday’s comfortable victory over Colombia’s Angie Valdes Pana saw the Dublin lightweight ensure she will leave Paris with at least a bronze medal.
But her sights have been set far higher as Harrington aims to join Nicola Adams and Claressa Shields as the only female fighters to retain their Olympic titles.
It will still take a monumental achievement to do that, especially considering Beatriz ‘The Beast’ Ferreira – the rough, tough Brazilian who Harrington defeated in that unforgettable Olympic final three years ago – stands in her way next.
Ferreira has since added a second world amateur title, as well as becoming IBF world champion in just her fifth professional fight back in April.
Adding another layer of intrigue from an Irish perspective is the fact Brian Peters - the Meath man who has guided the career of Katie Taylor - manages the 31-year-old.
Harrington will have no fear, however. She produced arguably the best performance of her career in that Tokyo final, and has looked in confident mood during her two fights to date in the French capital.
Pana, who lost to Ferreira in last year’s World Championship final, offered little to trouble the 34-year-old. After feeling each other out in the opening seconds, Harrington took control, finding her distance to land, leaving Pana swinging at thin air.
After claiming the first round on all the cards, Harrington took a cagier second 3-2. That meant she could play the matador to Pana’s bull in the last, frustrating the Colombian until the final bell sounded.
It was two hours after the fight before she emerged to face the media, having been called into anti-doping. There was no intention of watching last night’s other quarter-final - “I trust the coaches, I trust them so much that I don’t need to look at it” – instead focusing on her own performance, and her own path.
“I’m very proud of myself. I’m just glad to be here, and to be doing what I love-hate to do - hate to love, love to hate.
“This Olympics is about me enjoying it, it’s about me doing it for me, and me being happy again, and being happy in what I’m doing. And I’m happy, I’m enjoying it. I’ve said it from day one, whatever happens, happens.
“When we came out here on the 29th and I stepped in the ring and stepped back out of the ring, I became a double Olympian. That’s history and I’m very, very proud of myself.
“I just know that I have people up there above looking down on me and they’re with me every step of the way…”
Because between the ropes is where Harrington looks most at home.
It was there for all to see in her first fight against Alessia Mesiano, while the same confident air was on display yesterday.
“The build-up to a fight is crazy, everything goes through your head - what the hell am I doing here? - then as soon as the bell goes you forget about everything you just thought about in the last day, the last few days.
“That’s when I am free of absolutely everything, when I am able to express myself is when the bell goes and I’m in between those ropes and then you get out and you realise all the things you thought about before are irrelevant and just a waste of your time.
“But you still do it the next time… I just try to stick to a plan, we go out, we give it what we have and if it works, it works, and if it doesn’t, it doesn’t. It’s 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 the good person, and that’s what I want to be known as.”
Regardless of what colour medal she brings home to Portland Row, the celebrations that follow these Games will look a lot different to three years ago. Then, Harrington toured the streets where she was reared on an open top bus, lapping up the acclaim after landing gold.
After what is expected to be her last outing on the international stage, however, she doesn’t want to be carried above the people of her community again.
“I am super proud of where I come from, and all those people always have my back.
“Whether I win or whether I lose, and that’s when you see who’s really there, when the chips are down, they’re there for me when the chips are down and I can’t thank those people enough.
“I can’t wait to get home and see all those people, Portland Row is going to be absolutely hopping when we get home and there won’t be a bus, I’m going to walk down the street and celebrate with everyone.
“This time I’ll be able to walk down the street, meet everybody and thank them.”
RUNNING ORDER
Thursday, August 1
51kg last 16: D Moorehouse v W Lkhadiri (France) – 7pm
92kg: J Marley v D Boltaev (Tajikistan) – 9.08pm
Friday, August 2
57kg last 16: M Walsh v SK Staneva (Bulgaria) – 2.46pm
Saturday, August 3
60kg semi-final: K Harrington v B Ferreira (Brazil) – 9.08pm
