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KELLIE HARRINGTON WILL box for another Olympic gold medal on Tuesday after she won her 60kg semi-final in Paris this evening.
The Dublin boxer won gold in Tokyo three years ago and is already guaranteed to become the first Irish woman to medal at two Olympic Games.
Now, Harrington has a chance to become a gold medallist in back-to-back Olympics, a feat only matched by Paul O’Donovan and Fintan McCarthy on Friday and Pat O’Callaghan in 1932.
Harrington will take at least a silver medal home after she defeated her Brazilian opponent Beatriz Iasmin Soares Ferreira this evening.
Harrington controlled the fight from the first round, winning the fight on points on the scorecards of four out of the five judges.
The gold medal fight will take place on Tuesday at 10.06pm when she will face Yang Wenlu of China in the Roland-Garros Stadium.
Speaking to RTÉ after the fight, an emotional Harrington at first said she was “speechless” before composing herself to speak about her victory, saying that she was surprised by how her opponent came out fast at the beginning of the first round.
“I felt good, I felt happy, at one stage she hit me with her hand and I genuinely thought my tooth was after coming out. They’re still there, thank God. But she’s an incredible fighter, she’s a World Champion pro now.”
Asked about her upcoming final on Tuesday, Harrington said she is enjoying being there whether she wins or loses.
“I’m not looking at anything more than embracing the moment and enjoying it, you know, that’s what I’m looking towards. If I’m happy, like the way I was happy in there today, then I’ll be happy.
“As long as I get out of the ring and I’m happy, that’s all that matters. It’s only sport at the end of the day, that’s all it is. It doesn’t define me as a person, I’m still Kellie Harrington.
“I’m still going to go home to a great family, an absolutely brilliant community. And I know my community is all super proud of me, whether I win or whether I lose, they’re a part of me and I’m a part of them. I honestly can’t wait to get home and celebrate this with them.”
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Maybe don’t go squid fishing in a kayak in Australia? Just an idea
The waters off South Australia are known for great whites so they cant be hugely surprised that this happened.
The shark seems to have been confused into thinking that the kayak was the prey. The girl is very lucky to have survived this.
Leave the shark alone Why kill something that’s just doing what it evolved to do?? They are here a lot longer than us, And will be here long after too by the looks of it.
To the media all sharks are rogue. Ignorance.
@Fabio Dillon: Exactly. We go into a domain where they are the apex predator, and they do what comes naturally to them. Then we do what come naturally to us lay blame; and cast nom existent personas on them. It’s anthropomorphism at its worst.
@Matt F: Anto Pomorphism ! I knew his mother !
I think because of shark dives where they bait sharks to swim with and overfishing that the sharks are confused as they now think all vessels are there to feed them….plus they don’t care because they’re also starving….time to get out of the water.
I’d love to know what George hook has to say about this.
Fecking humans think we own the planet. Fcuk off and take up a land hobby if you don’t respect the ocean and its inhabitants.
@Nollaig Elliot:
well said ..
humans think we own the planet..
@Nollaig Elliot: we do own the planet
@Mr D: we do our best to kill the planet !
what else would you use if you had no arms to eat.?
@Andrew: Very true. That’s the thing about fish. If they are curious about anything they can only do one thing and that is put it in their mouth to find out what it is.
A rogue shark like there is no such thing
@Noel James Doherty: only rogue to the clowns that expect them to behave !!
have your say