Kellie Harrington won gold at the European Games with a unanimous victory, over Serbia’s Natalia Shadrina.
A slow start from Harrington saw Shadrina given the first round by three judges. However the reigning Olympic champion battled through the second and third rounds to take unanimous victory.
“In the first round, I’m not going to say I was asleep, but I was in sparring mode let’s say” explained Harrington. “I sussed it out that she was jumping in more shots, so I came back and it was a 3-2. I knew I had to go back out and put a little bit of a push on, but without pushing forward silly and getting caught because that is what she would want, so that’s what I done.”
“When I came back in the second round, I did that” declared Harrington. “I got a push on!”
“I wouldn’t say it was a domination or anything; it was more smart tactical” added Harrington. “I wasn’t going in there looking to knock anyone out or anything but I just needed to win a chess match really and that’s what it was.”
Harrington now adds European Games Champion to her prestigious list of accolades following her victory at the Nowy Targ Arena. Harrington was a silver medallist at the 2019 edition of the Games in Minsk.
Silver for Marley
Jack Marley fell to a unanimous decision defeat to Italy’s Aziz Abbes Mouhiidine in this evening’s heavyweight (92kg) final.
Italian Mouhiidine; a two-time world silver medallist and 2022 European Champion beat Marley 10-9 in all three rounds. Taking gold medal on a unanimous decision.
Aoife O’Rourke is the final Irish boxer to grace the ring at the Nowy Targ Arena when she contests the Middleweight (75kg) final at 12.30pm Irish time tomorrow.
