Two-time Olympic champion Kellie Harrington said she was seeing a "different" Aoife O'Rourke at the World Boxing Championships in Liverpool and backed the Roscommon woman to win gold this afternoon.
O'Rourke beat China's Lina Wang in Saturday's semi-final to book her spot in the 75kg final against Turkey's Busra Isildar (live on RTÉ Player at 2.45pm).
The retired Harrington, who won a lightweight gold at the 2018 championships before going on to do so in historic fashion at Olympic level at Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024, had a watching brief in Liverpool this time.
Speaking to RTÉ Sport's Siobhan Madigan, Harrington took particular pleasure in witnessing her former Team Ireland Olympic team-mate's progress in and out of the ring.
"Fantastic viewing, fantastic boxing and history has been made here today for Ireland," she said.
"Aoife has grown from strength to strength and today I've seen a different Aoife O'Rourke in there than I have ever seen.
"She looks physically stronger. I don't how you can get fitter if you're Aoife O'Rourke, but she's definitely fitter and her shape, everything, she was just a different boxer there today.
"It was great to watch and great to be there to watch her rally herself through to the final."
Harrington also backed O'Rourke and Team Ireland head boxing coach Zaur Antia to formulate a plan to get the better of Isildar in Sunday's final.
"They'll come up with tactics to get around beating the Turkish boxer and I'm sure tomorrow Aoife will be coming out victorious. I fancy Aoife O'Rourke for gold," she said.
Harrington also reserved praise for Patsy Joyce, who secured bronze at his first world championships.
"What he has done for his family, for his county, his club and his country is phenomenal," she said.
"Coming away from these world championships with a medal, it hasn't been done in I'd say eight years maybe in the men's team, so it's fantastic to see such young blood coming through and getting a medal for themselves.
"And the good thing about this is the only way is up. This is only the start of Patsy's journey and it's going to be incredible. So I hope he gets the support now that he deserves back home and just watch this space."
Harrington's fellow Olympian Gráinne Walsh comes away from these championships with a bronze medal in the 65kg division.
"She has definitely written her story," Harrington said of the Offaly woman.
"And she has had more knocks than she's had dinners at this stage I think, but it's great to see someone achieving something that they've worked so hard for and that they have had setback after setback for, and every time Gráinne is another boxer, who when you watch her, she grows.
"Every single fight she gets better and she gets better and you could see that yesterday when she fought. She left absolutely nothing in that ring to chance.
"She gave everything that she had and that's what the Irish boxing team want to walk away from this tournament from."
