KELLIE HARRINGTON HAS reiterated that she is to retire from her sport having become the first Irish boxer ever to win back-to-back Olympic gold medals.

Harrington, the best 60kg fighter of her era, had previously suggested that she may box again at the Irish Elites or even internationally up at 63kg.

Immediately after defending her Olympic title on Tuesday night, Harrington told RTÉ that she was “98%” certain that her victory over China’s Yang Wenlu had been her final fight.

And with the dust having settled on her historic triumph at Roland Garros, the 34-year-old bumped that up to 100%, emphasising that the time was right for her to hang up her vest and leave the competitive sport with her health intact.

“I know now, that’s it: done, dusted and what a way to go out,” Harrington told RTÉ Radio’s Morning Ireland.

“The fact that I know that I’m now done, and the fact that I’m finishing this way [is great], ‘cos a lot of the time people don’t know when to finish. And I’m happy that I am making that decision to finish it this way, my way, and go out as a double Olympic champion.

That’s it. That was it. Done, dusted. I’ve nothing more to prove, not even to myself which is the most important thing.

Harrington explained that she’s unlikely to completely separate herself from boxing any time soon, however, given the psychological benefits she garners from her gym work.

The Dubliner added that she also intends to remain involved in the sport in an official capacity, preferably in a role where she could assist other boxers in achieving their own dreams in the ring.

“I’m relieved to be done with the scales but I’ll always train because I believe that training helps me with my mental health, helps me to release those good endorphins and to feel good about myself.

“I’ll be hanging around the Sport [Ireland] institute, they are not going to get rid of me that easy.

“I feel like I have a lot of stuff that I can pass on to other athletes, so I want to do that.”

Reflecting on her 4-1 split-decision victory over Yang Wenlu which yielded her second Olympic gold medal, Harrington praised the massive Irish crowd at the Stade Roland Garros for giving her a “lift” at key junctures during the bout.

She added that the magnitude of her achievement had begun to set in, particularly while recognising the effect it had had on Irish people both in the 15,000-capacity tennis arena and back home where almost 1.4 million people tuned into her fight on RTÉ — an 83% share of the people who were watching television in Ireland at the time.

“I’ve never boxed in front of a crowd that big and I always thought that if I did I’d be really nervous and I wouldn’t perform,” Harrington said of the spectacular venue for the boxing finals.

“But it was totally the opposite. They lifted me, they gave me that bit of a lift when I needed it. I’ll be forever grateful for that.

“To get to the Olympics is a mountain in itself, and then when you get there and to set foot on a podium is a massive mountain.

“But then to see your nation’s flag at the top of the podium, that’s just special, ‘cos there’s not many people in the world who get to do it and I’ve done it twice now.

“I hadn’t been emotional thinking of the impact that it’s had on people, I was more emotional thinking, ‘Thank God, it’s done’, but when I watched the videos… it kind of set in. It’s an amazing feeling.”