The 42

IRISH BOXING GREAT Kellie Harrington has confirmed she is coming out of retirement. 

Harrington made history in successfully defending her gold medal at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, after which she announced her retirement from international competition. 

“When you reach a mountain, find a bigger mountain. And that’s what I’ve done. It wasn’t easy to climb that mountain,” she said after her victory in Paris, announcing she was stepping away.

But Harrington, now 35, has continued to train since returning from Paris, stirring expectation of a comeback. Following an interview with the Irish Times, she has now confirmed to the The 42 her intention to step back in the ring.

“After the Olympics, I just announced my retirement,” Harrington told the Irish Times. “But that’s the good thing about life, we’re allowed to make our minds up, we’re allowed to change them again and make it back up and change it again.

“I’ll be 36 in December. So, why not? I’m saying nothing about the [next] Olympics or anything like that. Everybody knows me. I’ll never say anything about winning or going to the Olympics. I always look at one fight at a time, one competition at a time. And that’s exactly what I’m doing.” 

While not yet focusing on the LA Olympics in 2028, Harrington will return at the national championships in January. Were she to medal at the LA Games, Harrington would become only the second Irish athlete to do so at three separate editions of the Games, following rower Paul O’Donovan. 

With reporting by Gavan Casey

Written by Gavin Cooney and originally published on The 42 whose award-winning team produces original content that you won’t find anywhere else: on GAA, League of Ireland, women’s sport and boxing, as well as our game-changing rugby coverage, all with an Irish eye. Subscribe here.