Two-time Olympic champion Kellie Harrington has revealed her intention to come out of retirement and box at the Irish National Elite Championships in January.
The 35-year-old Dubliner stepped away from competitive action immediately after retaining her lightweight gold in Paris last year, when she became the first Irish female Olympian to win medals at different Games. She is also a former World and European champion.
However, Harrington has been back in training since late last year, and her return does not come as a huge surprise.
"I've had a year of living somewhat normal. And normal is not for me, for now," she told the Irish Times.
"That’s the good thing about life, we’re allowed to make our minds up, we’re allowed to change them again and make it back up and change it again.
"I’ll be 36 in December. So, why not? I’m saying nothing about the [2028] Olympics or anything like that.
"But I do just think, imagine if I didn’t give it another go. I’m fit, I’m kind of healthy. I have a few niggles at the moment but in general I’m healthy. So why wouldn’t I?
"It's all small steps. The biggest step is the [Olympic] qualifiers in 2027, in Istanbul in Turkey, probably in July. But that’s only a blink of an eye away really. And look, it could be all over by January anyway.
"If I step into the ring and I lose a fight, it's fine because nobody has died. I’ll get out and I’ll still hopefully be healthy and it’s only a loss."
