Kellie Harrington, the reigning Olympic champion, experienced a disappointing defeat in the semi-finals of the European Elite Championships in Belgrade. Defeated by a margin in a split-decision by Natalia Shadrina, a Serbian boxer fighting on her home turf, Harrington’s performance lacked the typical flair that is characteristic of her boxing style.
Following her loss, Harrington, who looked a bit fatigued and slightly unkempt during the bout, is set to return to her native land with a bronze medal, three months prior to defending her Olympic title in Paris. The defeat marked an end to her victory streak that lasted over three years, a total of 32 consecutive wins. Harrington’s last defeat came in February 2021 at the Strandja Memorial tournament in Sofia, where she was defeated by Russia’s Nune Asatryan. Nevertheless, she shrugged off this defeat and bounced back to put on an impressive performance at the postponed Tokyo Games five months later.
Shadrina, having previously lost twice to Harrington, including once at the previous year’s European game in Poland, was a rightful winner of the bout. Harrington acknowledged this, appearing accepting as the split decision was delivered. The momentum is now in favour of Shadrina, who is predicted to claim the title Harrington had captured in 2022.
After the first round, Harrington retained a slight lead, receiving the support of three judges. However, the subsequent round saw a shift in scores, with Shadrina leading on two cards and only one in favour of Harrington.
Shadrina’s grip of the final round confirmed her victory, thus leaving Harrington with a consolation prize of $5,000. Winners of the silver medal receive a $10,000 cash reward while the overall champion takes home a whopping $15,000.
Meanwhile, two other Irish pugilists; Aoife O’Rourke, a double Olympian, and Shannon Sweeney are still in contention for gold. O’Rourke has earned at least a silver medal in the 75kg division, and Sweeney has reached the 50kg division final. O’Rourke, fighting out of Castlerea Boxing Club in Roscommon, outperformed Turkey’s Isildar Busra with a unanimous 5-0 semi-final victory, guaranteeing her a minimum cash prize of $10,000. Sweeney also registered an equally impressive 5-0 victory over Armenia’s Anush Grigoryan. After a day’s rest, they will contest their respective finals over the weekend.
Similarly to Harrington, Dublin’s Phoenix of Ballyboughal club member, Niamh Fay, encountered difficulties in her 54kg bantamweight semi-final. She was defeated 5-0 in an untidy match by her Romanian adversary, Lacramioara Perijoc.
Overcoming a shaky start in her quarter-final against Slovakia’s Ozer Gizem on Tuesday, Harrington managed to regain composure in the second round. This determined effort led to a 5-2 victory in the quarter-final as per the judges’ verdict.
Now at 34 years old, Harrington aspires to be the first Irish boxer to retain an Olympic title successfully. If achieved, she would be the second Irish sportsperson to do so after Dr Pat O’Callaghan, the hammer thrower in 1928 and 1932 in Amsterdam and Los Angeles respectively. Likewise, Paul O’Donovan, the rower, aims to make a similar achievement in the lightweight double sculls.
On another note, athletes from Russia and Belarus, usually seen competing neutrally in many global competitions, have been seen under their national flags in Hungary. This tournament is organised by the International Boxing Association, with Russian official Umar Kremlev at the helm.