The stadium, originally commemorating the four greats of French tennis – Brugnon, Borotra, Cochet, and Lacoste, was transformed into a boxing paradise by Ireland’s defending lightweight champion, Kellie Harrington, on a Tuesday night at Roland Garros. In a match marked with a 4-1 victory over Wenlu Yang from China, Harrington bagged her second Olympic gold, thereby registering her name in the annals of Irish sports.
This achievement singled Harrington out as the first Irish woman to claim medals in two Olympic Games, and also the only boxer from Ireland to battle in consecutive Olympic boxing finals. Harrington proceeded onto centre court with characteristic focus, pausing momentarily to draw breath and psychologically prepare herself for the fight to come.
This victorious feat places Harrington in an elite position, as the first Irish woman to secure gold medals in two separate Olympic events. Harrington basked in the golden glory of the moment, as the crowd celebrated her making history.
The stadium, adorned with the national colours, echoed the supportive cheer of the spectators through the closed roof. Each swing of the contestants, irrespective of its outcome, was met with applause. The spectators’ animated support was occasionally punctuated by tense silence as the boxers sparred tit for tat.
The tennis court that bore witness to Novak Djokovic’s gold medal victory in men’s singles just two days prior, now played host to Harrington’s second championship win. Earning a golden and silver medal at 34 would have been considerable, but securing successive Olympic titles catapults Harrington to the top rungs of Irish sporting greatness.
Beginning the match in an orthodox boxing style, Harrington was not daunted by Yang’s eagerness to approach and engage. From the outset, punches were swapped between both fighters. Harrington relied heavily on her jab, and seemed ready to release her right-handed backhand.
Yang, on the other hand, was fiercely active, swiftly throwing right hands behind her jab. Yet, she couldn’t land anything remarkable on the Irish champion. The caution on both sides led to a burst of action towards the round’s conclusion, seizing the interest of the judges, who graciously awarded the first round, 4-1 to the reigning champion.
Katie Taylor seized the gold medal during the London Olympics but was defeated in Rio. Her performance in these Games however, remains controversial due to corruption allegations revealed in a report by Professor Richard McLaren. Sonia O’Sullivan takes pride in clinching the 5,000m silver medal in Sydney.
However, Harrington’s performance leading up to the Paris Olympics had been flawless, as she triumphed over her opponents in the four matches. Notably, she overcame the Italian boxer, Rebecca Nicoli in an early round, went on to tackle and defeat Algerian Imane Khelif, who is the subject of a gender controversy. Following a 5-0 victory, Harrington readied herself for her contest with Thailand’s Sudaporn Seesondee, and a final round against Brazilian Beatriz Ferreira, whom she had previously bested in the semi-finals.
When she arrived in Paris, Harrington was excused from the initial match and subsequently toppled over Italy’s Alessia Mesiano with a 5-0 victory. The triumphant streak continued with another 5-0 sweep over sixth seed Columbian Paula Valdes Pana. The bout with Ferreira came to pass, leaving Wang as the remaining opponent. Harrington exits her Olympic journey with a splendid eight-match triumph.
Yang had no choice but to retaliate in the second round, and it is plausible that Harrington expected a more ferocious assault from the 33-year-old Chinese competitor. Yang began the round promptly, however, Harrington’s previous matches were marked by her poise and restraint, and she did not plunge into an all-out boxing duel.
Harrington’s impressive control of the fighting distance and precision lunging forward evidently appealed to the judges. In a somewhat unremarkable manner, the Irish champion methodically selected her hits on her adversary, accumulating points. The second-round score was 4-1 in her favour again, as revealed by the judges’ scorecards.
The Dublin-based 34-year-old now forms part of an elite trio of pugilists, which includes Nicola Adams from Liverpool, the flyweight gold medallist at both London 2012 and Rio 2016 Olympic Games, and Claressa Shields, the middleweight gold titleholder at those same games.
Ireland’s fans had reason for optimism as Harrison moved into the third round with a lead that put her in a winning position, while Yang had to excel in a special session to recover from a disadvantage. Even though Yang managed to secure a commendable 4-1 win, the crucial three minutes that might have tipped the match in her favour didn’t materialise, with Harrison adroitly avoiding unnecessary hits and remaining committed to her strategy of long-range boxing.
Undisturbed by the echoing chants of ‘Kellie, Kellie, Kellie’ from the spectators, the Olympian patiently persisted. As Yang’s team urged her animatedly to advance and score, Harrington, poised and confidently dominating the ring, maintained her lead. She was defeated in the final round, yet emerged victorious overall. The enduring image of the night was Harrington and her trainers Zaur Antia and Damian Kennedy jubilantly celebrating in an area that usually serves as the service box at the French Open, under ordinary circumstances.
However, for Kellie Harrington, this was far from an ordinary night. With two golds now to her name and an impending retirement, she firmly established her legacy in Irish sporting history.