Caelan Doris hoping Kellie Harrington can land a second Olympic gold

Ireland rugby star will be watching as an Ireland fan tonight

By: irishmirror.ie

Aug 06 2024
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Caelan Doris hoping Kellie Har

Caelan Doris is hoping Kellie Harrington can cement her place as an sporting icon tonight by becoming the first Irish woman to win gold medals at successive Olympic Games.

To date there are only two Irish athletes to have won back-to-back gold.

That's Dr Pat O'Callaghan in the Hammer in Amsterdam 1928 (becoming the first athlete to hear Amhran na bhFiann played on the podium) and Los Angeles 1932 and Paul O'Donovan, a gold medallist at rowing at both the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024.

Doris, who once entertained the idea of being a javelin thrower, has been abroad but having just returned is looking to forward to the build up to and the actual Harrington fight against Chinese opponent Yang Wenlu.

"I haven't seen any of the Olympics yet so looking forward to watching all of Kellie Harrington," said the Ireland international star and, potentially, the incoming 2024/25 captain.

"I'm well aware of where she comes from and that she's done plenty of good for the inner city.

"I can't say I am the greatest boxing fan but I've seen some of Katy Taylor's fights going back a while now and as a general rule when it comes to Irish fighters I would be following them."

Doris isn't an Olympian but he has had some close brushes with the Games.

"Hugo Keenan is my housemate in Dublin, the two of us and Ronan Kelleher are in together," he says of the full-back Keenan who switched to Sevens in the run up to Paris Games.

Leinster and Ireland back-row, Caelan Doris, with Sarah Kiely, age 8 and Cian Byrne, age 12 as Caelan was announced as ambassador for the Ohk Energy group.

Doris has worn the no8 jersey for Blackrock College, Leinster and Ireland, one that used to be occupied by Victor Costello, a former Irish shot put champion and 1992 Barcelona Olympian.

Moreover as a first year at school Doris had fellow Ireland rugby international Oli Jager as his 'mentor' and Oli's father Harm, who was their rugby Strength & Conditioning coach, was in the wider Netherlands water polo squad for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.

"No, never did Sevens rugby, there was a little bit of a question over whether I would go there in my first year at the Leinster Academy but maybe I didn't have the right speed, or base of fitness, the stamina.

"I am aware of Victor Costello, that he played rugby and did shot put and I actually did a small bit of shot put at one point in school but preferred Javelin.

"I was pretty mediocre at both so I think my Olympic dreams for either of those are probably gone at this stage.

"But back then Oli was four years ahead me in school. He was a boarder as well. He was actually my mentor when I was in first year and he was in fourth year, we used to sit beside each other in study hall.

"I remember him being very good at shot put, practicing quite a bit because he did extra sessions, he was schools championship winner if I remember correctly

"His dad Harm Jaeger was the S&C coach so I remember him doing bits and bobs in his own time."

**Caelan Doris is an ambassador for Childline

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