WHILE Kellie Harrington sank to her knees in the centre of the ring it felt, for a split second, as though nothing else mattered.
Ireland had become accustomed to setting an alarm for the crack of dawn throughout the Tokyo Olympics and, on this August Sunday morning, the country rejoiced as the Dubliner joined Michael Carruth and Katie Taylor in the gold medal club.
To the victor the spoils, a moment of glory that can never be repeated – but what about the loser?
On Saturday night, around 9.08pm Irish time, Beatriz Ferreira will walk to the North Paris Arena ring with revenge on her mind. Three years ago, she came out on the wrong side of the result when Harrington produced a boxing masterclass in the second and third rounds.
On her way out of Ryoguko Kokugikan, Ferreira stopped in front of a television camera and, speaking in her native Portuguese, mouthed the words “sorry dad, sorry Brazil”.
However, her father and coach - two-time Brazilian champion Raimundo Ferreira – didn’t wear defeat well.
“In my 44 years of boxing experience, I think Bia took the first two rounds,” he said.
“It’s an injustice, a lack of respect. Anyone who knows boxing knows that Bia won the fight and had a big advantage. She doesn’t have to apologise to me.
“To me, she is gold.”
“Ah, that didn’t bother me,” smiles Bernard Dunne, “Kellie had a gold medal.
“That’s all that mattered.”
The former super-bantamweight world champion was in the final throes of his time as Irish high performance director when Harrington reached the summit of the amateur game, and has watched the fight back several times since.
“Everybody thinks they’ve won a bout… I would be very clear and very honest in a lot of my thoughts around boxing, and no, I wouldn’t have been arguing with that fight.
“It was a close fight, but to argue Kellie didn’t deserve to win that fight? It’s a very big leap.”
Heading into Saturday’s semi-final, with a place in Tuesday’s decider at the iconic Roland Garros Stadium up for grabs, the question is: will it be repeat, or revenge?
Harrington came to Paris on the back of a first defeat in three years after losing to Serbian Natalia Shadrina at April’s European Championships. There were question marks over whether she was physically, and mentally, equipped to go all the way again.
Any doubts have been answered emphatically, however, with brilliant displays easing her beyond Italy’s Alessia Mesiano and Colombian Angie Valdes to reach this stage. Even at 34, Harrington look better than ever.
But what of Ferreira?
Since Tokyo she has added a second world title, but her amateur career has taken a back seat to the bright lights of the professional game. Managed by Meath man Brian Peters and promoted by Matchroom mogul Eddie Hearn, Ferreira’s aggressive, attacking style made that move into the paid ranks a no-brainer.
And ‘The Beast’ has lived up to her billing in the five fights since debuting at the tail end of 2022, fast-tracked into picking up the IBF World lightweight title in April, somehow still able to straddle the pro and amateur worlds.
Billy Walsh has had cause to keep a closer eye on the Brazilian’s progress than most, with his American lightweight Jajaira Gonzalez losing out to Ferreira in the preliminary round of these Olympics, as well as at the Pan-American Games.
Her tactical approach remains much the same, but the former Irish head coach feels training for the professional game, for the physicality of longer fights, has slowed the Brazilian’s pace since Tokyo – a factor which could play into the hands of the fleet-footed Harrington.
“We fought Beatriz twice this year, a girl who wouldn’t have as much experience or talent as Kellie, and we’ve given her a really close fight,” said Walsh, who expects Harrington to go all the way to gold again.
“So she hasn’t really changed a lot, she has slowed down because of the pros… it’s a great opportunity for Kellie to get a quick start.
Kellie’s technique is very good… she’s continually outpointing you, continually stopping you from working, she’s got a really good skillset that Beatriz will find it very difficult to beat.
“At the pace that we’re working in international boxing, I think Kellie will be too smart and too sharp for her.”
Dunne agrees. Ferreira came into the Tokyo final with a reputation significantly enhanced by a series of powerhouse performances. She started that fight as favourite as a consequence of the buzz that surrounded her.
“The myth doesn’t always live up to its reputation…”
Dunne has followed Ferreira’s career ever since, and expects the Irish coaching to follow a plan similar to that which brought success three years ago.
“It looks as though she’s definitely slowed down and bulked up,” he said.
“She’s a solid unit and she’s looking for big shots, looking for heavy blows. You’d like to think that whatever plan the Irish team come up with that it will utilise Kellie’s superior boxing ability and speed.
“It’s going to be a challenge, there’s no two ways about it. There’s a very clear motivation for Ferreira because she will want to avenge the result from Tokyo, whereas I think Kellie will be coming out with a very clear mind, concentrating on executing a plan.
“Kellie has been extremely technical and tactical in all that she has done in this competition. Her discipline has been superb, and I don’t see that changing coming into this fight.”
Ferreira came flying out of the blocks in Tokyo, attempting to rough Harrington up and draw the Dubliner into a bar-room brawl. But, despite a bit of early success, the pattern of the fight soon changed as Harrington wrestled back control.
Having sat down and spoken with the 34-year-old in recent months, Dunne detects a different Kellie Harrington now. One who has grown, and one who has total self-belief in what she is about.
On Saturday night, he feels that is what will settle this argument once and for all.
“Our main goal in Tokyo was looking at what the opponent can do, but more importantly what tools does Kellie have that we know can work against this opponent. In Kellie, you’re blessed because she has a big toolbag.
“I would say, after 15 or 20 seconds, they’ll see what Ferreira is going to do. Kellie will probably manage the distance, feint, tease to see what her opponent is going to do. They’ll have an idea, they’ll have concepts of what they want to do, whether that’s southpaw or orthodox.
“It’s testament to Kellie Harrington that she boxed a lot of the final in Tokyo southpaw, and that she can do that and win an Olympic gold medal. She’s one of the most talented athletes I have worked with, I’ve been blessed to be around her company and she’s got everything – she can go forward, she can defend, she can counter-punch, she can box southpaw, orthodox, and she can manage bouts.
“Kellie’s very good at making decisions herself within that ring. As a leader of a system you prepare as best you can, but once the athlete gets in the ring, they’ve got to make decisions. They’ve got to be confident enough that they know what they’re doing.
“This is one of things that Kellie is – she truly understands what she is and what she can do.”
