Irish boxer Kellie Harrington dances into the night as she defends her Olympic gold medal title at Paris 2024
As the music pumped around the Stade Roland-Garros, Kellie Harrington danced like there was no tomorrow.
The women’s 60kg boxer successfully defended her Olympic title at Paris 2024, defeating number one seed Yang Wenlu of the People’s Republic of China on Day 11 of the Olympic Games.
A tight affair under the closed roof of Court Philippe-Chatrier was won 4-1 by the boxer, who becomes the first Irish woman to win back-to-back Olympic gold medals.
It was a night neither Harrington nor Ireland will ever forget.
Harrington backed on by an Irish sea of support
In a stadium packed with countless different flags and extremely vocal fans, it was the Irish fans who brought the most noise and energy.
“They just lifted me today, they were absolutely amazing, having people there to celebrate it with: my family, my closest friends, my coach,” Harrington told Olympics.com. “This is for me, but it's also for everybody in Ireland to see that when you believe, you can achieve.
“I just want kids and teenagers and adults and everybody to understand that things don't just come to you. After the first go, the second go, you got to keep trying.”
When Harrington emerged from the changing rooms and headed ringside, Stade Roland-Garros was a sea of Irish flags — and those waving them were certainly making themselves heard. Their roars were reciprocated in the ring by the boxer’s determination, giving everything she had against a worthy opponent.
Kellie Harrington was driven to victory by a strong Irish crowd at the Stade Roland- Garros.
Harrington enters herself into Irish Olympic history
Only two Irish Olympians have ever won consecutive Olympic golds, and the last person to do it was almost a century ago in hammer thrower Patrick O’Callaghan in 1928 and 1932.
Harrington has written history at 34 years old, building on what is already an outstanding Games for Ireland.
“It is a roller coaster — the last three years has been a roller coaster because I didn't believe that I'd be here,” Harrington said. “Even after qualifying, I thought, ‘I don't think I'm going to get there’ because I wasn't in a great mental space, but luckily enough the people who I have around me believe in me. When I didn't want to get up out of bed to go train, they got me up.”
She was dancing in the ring before and after the final bell, and when her arm was lifted into the air, she danced on the clay court of Roland Garros: game, set, match.
When Harrington stepped onto the top step of the Olympic podium for the second time in her career, she was overcome with emotion. A gruelling roller coaster of emotions at that.
Next steps for the two-time Olympic champion
Harrington thinks that may have been her final fight, and if so she has bowed out at the top of her game and with two gold medals around her neck — or is it three?
She was also wearing a golden necklace of the Olympic rings, a gift from her partner after she won at Tokyo 2020. “I’d like a ring!” she exclaimed when asked what she will get to celebrate her Paris win, either another Olympic ring memento or perhaps a double-entendre for what she hopes will follow.
Her golden bout is Ireland’s fourth gold medal of the Games, making Paris 2024 the country's most successful Olympics ever in terms of golds and overall medals.
Harrington won gold surrounded by her loved ones, adorned with hundreds of Irish flags and cheered on from across the Celtic Sea. Ireland will keep dancing in celebration, and Harrington will be leading the way.