Kellie Harrington gets support from Katie Taylor.
Katie Taylor has backed Kellie Harrington to win Olympic gold as the Dubliner prepares to take on Beatriz Ferreira of Brazil on Sunday.
Katie Taylor won gold in 2012.
Taylor’s Olympic gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics ranks among the most-cherished Irish sporting moments and the Bray boxer has urged Harrington to repeat the feat.
Following on from Harrington’s lightweight semi-final victory over Sudaporn Seesondee on Thursday, Taylor took to Twitter to share a simple message which reads: “Incredible Kellie, all the way to gold!!”
Incredible Kellie, all the way to gold!! ? https://t.co/kolB7KiAEA
— Katie Taylor (@KatieTaylor) August 5, 2021
Katie Taylor knows exactly how Kellie Harrington is feeling.
Before Fintan McCarthy and Paul O’Donovan’s rowing success in Tokyo, Taylor had been the most recent Irish athlete to win gold at the Olympics.
A trailblazer for the inclusion of women’s boxing at the Olympics, Taylor is one of only two women who will know exactly how Harrington feels if she clinches gold on Sunday.
Currently the undisputed lightweight champion in women’s professional boxing, Taylor was the first ever winner of the women’s lightweight gold medal.
Harrington now has to chance to make it two out of three for Ireland after Estelle Mossely of France won the competition in 2016.
Kellie Harrington’s final takes place on Sunday.
The 31-year-old Harrington will enter the ring at 6 am Irish time on Sunday, and waiting for her will be 28-year-old Ferreira. The Brazilian Ferreira defeated Finland’s Mira Marjut Johanna Potkonen in her semi-final.
Harrington defeated Seesondee via split decision and afterwards she was full of respect for her Thai opponent, saying: “She’s a fantastic operator, she has a really, really strong left hand.
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“So, I was trying not to get hit with that and trying to stay away from it! Trying to tease her on, like my coaches said, and then counter.
“I felt a little more comfortable towards the end, standing instead of running. It was fantastic, just brilliant.”
Hailing from Portland Row in Dublin’s north inner city, the area has been abuzz throughout Harrington’s Olympics run. The atmosphere is sure to peak on Sunday morning as the boxer looks to etch her name into Irish sporting history.
#WATCH Kellie Harrington's progress through the #Olympics has been closely watched by her home community of Portland Row in #Dublin
Her family says the scale of her achievement will take time to sink in@nicole_gernon reports ⤵️#VMNews | @Kelly64kg pic.twitter.com/sQXX2mKCty
— Virgin Media News (@VirginMediaNews) August 5, 2021
The fight between Harrington and Ferreira will be broadcast on RTE 2 at 6 am on Sunday morning.
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