Newly crowned double Olympic champion Kellie Harrington said it would be an “awful shame” and “absolutely disastrous” if she was the last Irish boxer to fight in an Olympic Games.
Boxing is not included in the programme for the next Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028, though the International Olympic Committee has not yet closed the door on the possibility of its inclusion.
“We need the Olympics for funding, basically,” said Harrington.
“So many kids coming through who are screaming to go to the Olympics. That’s gold for some kids, you know. It would be absolutely disastrous if boxing wasn’t brought back for LA. I think it should be in.
“I think there are a few changes that need to be done. Boxing is a massive part of the Olympic Games, especially for Ireland, so that would be a crying shame. I think everybody needs to do a little bit more to keep it there.”
Television pictures showed Kellie reading from a card in the dressing room before the fight.
She declined to say what was written on the card but said she was given it before the Tokyo Olympics by Rachel Mulligan, a former employee of Boxing Ireland.
“It is something that I like to read before I get in [to the ring],” she said.
At the Tokyo Olympics, the then Head of the IABA’s High Performance Unit, Bernard Dunne, permitted Kellie to write messages on the wall of her bedroom in the athletes’ village in Tokyo. The walls were skimmed afterward, so there was no issue.
“I didn’t write on the walls this time,” she explained.
“Instead, I had all my photographs and put them up with Blu-Tack.
“Mandy gives me a little package and it had loads of little photographs in it of people that I love, and good memories that I’ve had and she leaves me a really positive card.”
During the tournament, Kellie wrote messages like ‘I know I can’, ‘professional’, ‘smile’ and ‘happiness’ on post-its and stuck them on the wall.
“I have about 20 of them on the wall. I read all and say them aloud.”
Harrington paid a glowing tribute to her wife, family and close friends.
“They know me and know everything about me and about life and stuff. General people just know what’s put out there.
“They’re [family and friends] are the ones to pick up the pieces. They’re when you lose a fight or when lose anything, having a shit day, they’ll pick you up and dust you off. I am just glad they were there because … it’s the stuff of dreams. It’s just mad.
“I don’t know it’s crazy. Nicola Adams, Claressa Shields … is there anyone else [Shields, Adams and now Harrington are the only female Olympic boxers to retain their title]?
“There with them is amazing absolutely amazing,” said Harrington.
During her eight-year international career, she won two Olympic gold medals as well as World and European gold along with World and European silver plus two European Championship bronze medals.