Kellie Harrington completed a successful return from retirement in winning the 60kg final at the 2026 National Elite Championships at the National Stadium in Dublin. The two-time Olympic champion announced her comeback last October, having spent over a year out of the ring. After a successful return to the National Stadium last week, Harrington’s final opponent in the 60kg division was last year’s champion, Kellie McLoughlin of St Catherine’s BC. It was another clean sweep on the cards for Harrington, who entered the final round with a commanding lead. The Castlerea boxer opened up a wide gap on the scorecards before the third round, but Kearney showed grit to put in a good final round against the world champion.

Source: The Irish Times January 18, 2026 06:59 UTC