Tokyo Olympics: Irish boxer Kellie Harrington into women's light final

Irish boxer Kellie Harrington has reached the women's light final at the Olympics after a 3-2 split decision win over Thailand's Sudaporn Seesondee.

Dubliner Harrington, 31, repeated her 2018 world championship final over the Thai fighter although it was a desperately close contest in Tokyo.

The Irishwoman edged the first round with three of the five judges.

But the fight remained in the balance going into the final round before she clinched her tight verdict.

The Irishwoman was given a 29-28 verdict on three cards with Seesondee favoured by the same margin by the other two judges.

Harrington has become only the second Irish female boxer to win an Olympic medal and will hope to match Katie Taylor's 2012 feat in London by winning gold on Sunday when she takes on Brazil's Beatriz Ferreira, who dominated Finland's Mira Potkonen in the second semi-final.

Harrington was declared the winner in a very tight contest against Thailand's Sudaporn Seesondee

"I'm actually speechless for a change," said an emotional Harrington after her victory.

"I don't know what to say. I still have one more fight to go.

"What really is touching me at the moment is the support back home from the whole of Ireland. Not just my own community. The whole of Ireland is lit.

"I just feel absolutely on top of the world as one person to be able to do that for many, many people and for a little nation.

"I'd say my da is probably bawling his eyes out. My ma is probably out in the garden listening to my da."

Harrington edged a cagey first round which saw the Tunisian referee urge the fighters to up the work-rate at one stage.

Seesondee produced better work in round two to go 20-18 up on one card and level on two which put Harrington under pressure but the Irishwoman responded in the final three minutes as she connected with an eye-catching left hook to wrest back the initiative.

'Even the dog is in shock' - boxer's father

Interviewed later on Irish broadcaster RTE, Harrington's mother Yvonne said: "I was sitting out the back praying as usual."

As drivers beeped their car horns while the family were being interviewed on live TV, the boxer's father Christy described the reaction to her victory as "pure madness".

"Even the poor dog. We had to get a vet to look after the dog. The dog was in shock never mind us," added Christy.

Ireland have won one gold so far in Tokyo after the rowing success of Paul O'Donovan and Fintan McCarthy in the men's lightweight double event, with the country also having clinched two further bronze medals.

Harrington's boxing team-mate Aidan Walsh won bronze in the men's welterweight division with the women's four crew finishing third in their rowing final.

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