Boxing-Ireland's Harrington wins women's lightweight gold

Tokyo 2020 Olympics - Boxing - Women's Lightweight - Final - Kokugikan Arena - Tokyo, Japan - August 8, 2021. Kellie Harrington of Ireland in action against Beatriz Iasmin Ferreira of Brazil REUTERS/Ueslei Marcelino

REUTERS

Kellie Anne Harrington of Ireland beat Beatriz Ferreira of Brazil to win the women's lightweight boxing gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics on Sunday.

Ferreira won silver, while Mira Potkonen of Finland and Sudaporn Seesondee of Thailand both won bronze medals as losing semi-finalists.

Kellie Harrington gave Ireland a gold medal in boxing at the Tokyo Olympics today, winning a tremendous final bout in the women’s lightweight division against Brazil’s Beatriz Ferreira.

The final tally was 5:0 in Harrington’s favor, but this was an intensely competitive bout, and watching this fight and this division throughout the Olympics, it was extremely clear that these are the two best in the world right now at this weight.

In the first round, Ferreira won three of five cards from the judges, but Harrington swept the next two rounds, though that’s not to say Ferreira didn’t have an argument in either one. This could have gone the other way, but the judges preferred the steadier work of Harrington, who also was probably the better defensive boxer overall here. Ferreria did land her share of good, hard shots, too.

All in all, this was just a terrific matchup, tactical and focused on both sides, with good work coming from each woman, and a huge amount of mutual respect shown after it was over.

Reporting by Martin Petty; Editing by Himani Sarkar