Kellie Harrington banks bronze medal and also creates history

Kellie Harrington won a second successive medal at the World Women’s World Elite Championships in New Delhi, India yesterday.

Kellie Harrington banks bronze medal and also creates history

By Bernard O’Neill

Kellie Harrington won a second successive medal at the World Women’s World Elite Championships in New Delhi, India yesterday.

But Dundalk southpaw Amy Broadhurst received a controversial public warning and was denied at least bronze on a 3-1 split decision against India’s Simranjit Kaur in the light welter quarter-final.

Harrington, a silver medallist at light-welter at the 2016 Worlds, became the first Irish female or male boxer to medal at the World Elites at two different limits after beating Canadian lightweight Caroline Veyre yesterday.

The 28-year-old Dubliner scored a unanimous – 30-27,30-27,29-28,29-28,29-28 - win over the Montreal orthodox to assure herself of at least bronze and set up tomorrow’s clash with Karina Ibragimova of Kazakhstan.

Ibragimova beat China’s Wenlu Yang, who beat Harrington in the 2016 World final, yesterday. Head coach Zaur Antia, who is working Ireland’s corner with Dmitry Dimitruk, was all smiles after Harrington’s win.

“Kellie was fantastic,” said Ireland’s chief seconds: “She was very relaxed, very focused and we are very happy with her performance. She boxed excellently in the first and second rounds and she won, that is the thing.”

Meanwhile, Broadhurst left the ring in tears after the judges called it 3-1 to Kaur. Broadhurst impressed in rounds one and two with simple but effective two-punch combinations against the busy Indian.

The writing appeared to be on the wall for Kaur after she was floored by what looked like a legitimately left hook from the World Elite debutant in the third but the Egyptian ref ruled it a slip.

The ref handed Broadhurst a public warning for hitting with the inside of the glove moments after the knockdown when it appeared that the punch was a straight left to the head.

The final scores read 29-27 to Broadhurst, 28-28 and 29-27,29-27 and a shocking 30-26 to Kaur.

Bernard Dunne, IABA High-Performance Director and Irish team managera, thought Harrington was class and that Broadhurst didn’t get the rub of the green.

”I thought Amy was unlucky. You know, fighting the hometown favourite in a great atmosphere.

She performed exceptionally well and she has a great future ahead of her. I think it was a very close fight,” he said.

“I think Amy gave it everything she had. She’s a young developing athlete who has just come on to the Elite team. She did herself, her club and her country proud in a very close fight.

“I think Kellie showed her class today. She’s improved as the competition went on, the first day, second day, third day. Now it’s all about re-focusing for the next challenge.” Harrington will meet Ibragimova at approximately 11.30am (Irish time) tomorrow. The Kazakh is relatively unknown but she beat Russia’s Anastasia Beliakova, the No. 2 seed in New Delhi, this year and Yang yesterday.

Meanwhile, Finland’s No. 1 seed in New Delhi, Mira Potkonen, who beat Katie Taylor at Rio 2016 and Harrington at this year’s Europeans, lost to Thailand’s Sudapom Seesondee yesterday.

Seesondee faces Korea’s Yeonji Oh in the corresponding lightweight semi-final on Thursday. Ireland has now won eight medals at the World Women’s Elites since 2006 Current IBF/WBA pro champion Katie Taylor has claimed 5 gold and 1 bronze and Harrington one silver and at least bronze.

The lightweight title is vacant in India, as France’s Olympic champion Estelle Mossely, who beat Taylor en route to gold at the 2016 Worlds, has turned pro.

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