Kellie Harrington overcame 'very, very tough' year before Olympic gold medal victory in Paris
Harrington's brother Christopher spoke to Oliver Callan from Paris on RTE Radio 1
Kellie Harrington's brother has revealed how the boxer overcame a "very, very tough" year before making history at the Olympics.
The Dublin boxer defeated China's Wenlu Yang at Roland Garros in the women’s 60kg final on Tuesday night to become Ireland's first ever back to back Olympic boxing champion.
Harrington's brother Christopher spoke to Oliver Callan from Paris on RTE Radio 1 the following morning, with the host telling how Kellie's partner Mandy had told him a few months ago that the boxing champion "just wasn't really herself".
READ MORE:Kellie Harrington becomes double Olympic champion with performance of a lifetime in Paris
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He said: "I don't think it's kind of known enough how tough the last year has been on Kellie and Mandy and the whole lot of you. I met Mandy only a couple of months ago and she just talked about how Kellie just wasn't really herself in the last year and it was just a media controversy, which is well forgotten about now, but just to come from that is unbelievable."
Kellie previously admitted that she "spiralled downhill" and went to the "darkest of the darkest places" after an interview with Off The Ball last year in which she was questioned about a tweet made in relation to immigration in October 2022.
Christopher responded by saying: "When you're in the spotlight as an athlete or you're renowned or whatever, it's always tough when you get things said about you or harsh criticism or whatever it may be.
"Regardless of who you are or what you are, we're human beings and we have feelings and Kellie's definitely got them and the last year's been very, very tough for her and also for my ma and da.
"To see last night what happened, I'm just so happy for my ma and da because this was massive. Again it shows that they've done an unbelievable job in raising a lady and that's what she is, that's what Kellie is. She's an absolute gem and everyone knows it."
He added: "She speaks from her heart... she speaks with authenticity and what she's feeling. She'll never lead anyone wrong. She's always trying to look for the best in people.
"She doesn't get that from anywhere, it's what she's been brought up in and how she's been raised.
"To see last night in Roland Garros, one of the most iconic stadiums in the world really, definitely in tennis... to see the following she had there, I can't even put a term on it because I'm still trying to come to reality over what I actually seen last night."
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