Zaur Antia: Kellie Harrington can win third Olympic gold in LA

The Dubliner is the reigning and two-time Olympic lightweight champion on the back of her exceptional efforts in Tokyo in 2021 and Paris three years later, after which she announced that her international career was done. That changed last month.

Wed, 19 Nov, 2025 - 18:00

Brendan O'Brien

Zaur Antia believes Kellie Harrington is more than capable of claiming her third straight Olympic boxing gold medal in Los Angeles in 2028 having rowed back on her decision to quit the elite amateur game.

That changed last month with confirmation that she now intends to wear an Irish singlet again having remained with the Irish Athletic Boxing Association’s (IABA) high-performance unit in a training capacity since the summer before.

Harrington was in Liverpool in September as a non-competing member of the Irish squad that competed at the World Boxing Championships and she intends to begin her comeback by fighting in the National Elites in January.

She will be 36 by then but Antia, who on Wednesday began his own retirement after 23 years as the IABA’s coaching mastermind, has no doubts but that his former charge can add to her already stunning legacy by topping the podium again in California.

“Kellie Harrington is capable of a third gold medal. Kellie is so powerful, explosive, physiological strength is fantastic. She has a brilliant lifestyle, which can bring her that success. I am very much sure she can do it.”

Ireland have won 19 Olympic medals in boxing, 10 of them have been claimed under Antia’s watch. His role has been integral to the sport’s continued success.

All told, 154 medals have been won across various major championships since he started in 2003.

The IABA have offered the Georgian a consultancy role. It is a smart and obvious move to make les so much experience be fully lost to the system here, but his departure on a day-to-day basis is still one that will leave a hole.

Luckily, Antia believes the IABA already has the ideal person in-house to replace him.

Damian Kennedy is already in situ as interim head coach. The Ulsterman has been at Antia’s side through Olympic, World and European campaigns and he was lead coach for Northern Ireland when they won seven medals – five gold - at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

“He is a fantastic charismatic person, a good leader and good coach. Good friend and very professional. That's what I want to say: everything will be fine and they are beside him as very good coaches.

“Beside him is very good coaches: James Doyle, Eoin Pluck, Lynne McEnery. High-performance director John McKee is fantastic. All organisation is united like one body. The teamwork is everything.

“One person can do some good things but a team can do bigger things. This team will be very strong.”