Irish boxer Kellie Harrington is guaranteed at least a bronze medal at the World Championships after beating her Kazakh opponent in the quarter-finals in Astana.
The Glasnevin light-welterweight enjoyed a unanimous points win over home fighter Zarina Tsoloyeva in Kazakhstan, winning each of the four rounds on a 10-9 scoreline.
The 26-year-old moves into a semi-final against Canada’s Sarah Kali and become only the second Irish woman, after Katie Taylor, to medal at this level.
Speaking to RTÉ Sport, Harrington believed she was in control of the fight but admitted to having to battle fatigue in the latter stages.
"It got tougher as the fight went on," she said.
"I was getting tired, she was getting tired. The last round, she knew she had to work and she kept coming at me.
"At the end of each round, Eddie (Bolger) and Zaur (Antia) kept telling me, 'You're great, you're doing great, you're good,' and then they'd give me my tactics.
"I always had the right tactics, but sometimes when you get back to your corner, you can be unsure of how you're doing, and they were just there - 'You're doing great, you're doing great'."
Facing a Kazakh on home soil was always going to be a daunting task, but Harrington took confidence from another Irish triumph in enemy territory.
"Our physio, Julianne Ryan, messaged me and said nothing is impossible.
"Davey Oliver Joyce beat a Turk in Turkey for his Olympic qualifications, so you can go out there and beat the Kazakh. And it was true, I've done it!"
Looking ahead to her semi-final, Harrington added: I'm just speechless. But I deserve to be there. You lose a lot of friends because you're constantly training, but this is where it pays off."
The emotional Dubliner also paid tribute to her coach, saying: “Thanks so much to Jimmy Halpin and all the lads there down in Glasnevin, 24/7, putting work into me all the time.
“[Jimmy just gives me] confidence all the time, he’s always had my back and he’s always fought for me.
“He believed in me when nobody else did. This is why I am where I am, because of Jimmy."
