LAST UPDATE | 1 Jul 2023
KELLIE HARRINGTON HAS won a European Games gold medal after a dominant win over Natalia Shadrina of Serbia in the women’s lightweight (60kg) final.
Harrington, 33, had to come from behind after Sharina shaded the first round, 3:2. The Irish fighter then took control, her more attacking style in contrast to the Serb who remained cautious in the second round. Harrington’s ambition paid off as got a clean sweep, taking the round 5:0.
Harrington knew she could be more conservative in the third as Sharina had to attack to overturn the deficit. Yet the Tokyo Olympic gold medallist was in complete control and went on to claim another 5:0 success in the round and claim the gold on a unanimous decision.
KELLIE HARRINGTON IS YOUR 2023 EUROPEAN GAMES CHAMPION 🥇#TeamIreland | #EG2023 pic.twitter.com/vlOespEz0I
— Team Ireland (@TeamIreland) July 1, 2023
It is another landmark success in the career of the fighter who was a silver medalist in the light welterweight division at the 2016 Women’s World Boxing Championships; who won the gold medal in the lightweight division at the 2018 Women’s World Boxing Championships and won the gold medal in the lightweight division at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in August 2021.
“In the first round, I wouldn’t say I was asleep but I was in sparring mode, sussing it out and seeing what she was going to bring. I sussed it out that she was jumping in with her shots,” Harrington said afterwards.
“I came back out when it was 3-2 and I knew I had to put a bit of a push on – but not pushing on silly and getting caught. That’s what I did in the second round.
“I wouldn’t say it was domination. It was more being smart, being tactical. I wasn’t going in to knock anyone out; I just needed to win a chess match; she was trying to jump in. A fight is a fight, a win is a win. You have to do what you have to do.”
Meanwhile, Jack Marley lost to Italian Aziz Abbes Mouhiidine in their heavyweight final.
The Dubliner who fights out of Monkstown Boxing Club qualified for the 2024 Games in Paris by beating Enmanuel Reyes Pla in the semi-finals.
Yet Mouhiidine, the south paw, proved too a step too far for the 20-year-old.
The 24-year-old’s foot speed and right jab were key to a comfortable win in which Marley did continue to take the fight to his opponent.
