Tokyo Olympic Champion Kellie Harrington admits there is a target on her back.
Off the back of her first defeat in three years, and with 11 weeks to go until she defends her lightweight boxing title in Paris, the Dublin woman admits the challenge has shifted.
One boxer who knows her style well is Amy Broadhurst. Harrington defeated Broadhurst in the 60kg national elite final in 2018 and they were subsequently sparring partners as part of the Irish boxing squad at the Sport Ireland Campus.
Following Broadhurst's shock switch to box for Team GB at the Olympics, all thought went to a possible clash between the ex-team-mates in Paris.
Broadhurst has stated her intention in qualifying in the 60kg category, of which Kellie is defending champion, however Harrington said she wasn't dwelling on the prospect of the two meeting in the ring.
"I know Amy well and to be honest with you, I don't actually think about that. There’s no point in thinking about it because a draw has to be done.
"The talent has got so much bigger and there are still a lot of people in the tournament that were in Tokyo as well.
"Who knows what’s going to happen. And I’m sure she feels the same also. It’s one foot in front of the other really."
No Irish athlete has successfully defended their Olympic title since Pat O'Callaghan in 1932.
She took the pressure off by qualifying for Paris at last year's European Games but a first loss in three years to Serbia's Natalia Shadrina at last month's European Championships could have knocked Harrington's confidence.
However, she claims the defeat has been a turning point.
"It wasn't a big shock to me, obviously I didn’t go out there to lose but it's sport and anything can happen. I feel like it's kind of put a little bit of a spark underneath my ass. I'm starting to feel how I used to feel again
"I was like a deer looking everywhere. But now it's 11 weeks away the tunnel is getting narrower and narrower. I love that feeling of focus and the focus is really starting to come into play. The focus is starting to shift."
With the wait nearly over, the Dublin native seems to have renewed focus and has a positive take on her experience that she hopes young people in sport can learn from: "I don't know if I lost or I learn from it."
Harrington has teamed up with Spar for the launch of their 'Stay in the Game' campaign. One in five young females quit sport at post-primary level. Harrington hopes that young people seeing her response from losing a fight will keep more girls in sport.
"I think the loss that I've just had is really important for them to see, that it's OK to lose, it’s not about the loss. It’s about how you come back from it, like how you react.
"That's something I really want to instil in teenagers coming through sport and just in life, that loss is inevitable and role models are great to have."
The St Mary's Tallaght BC fighter is also looking ahead to life after the Olympics. Harrington has not been shy about her intentions to step away from international boxing and enjoy life outside the ring with her wife Mandy.
"We are craving normality at the moment. It's just to live a bit of a normal life. For 15 years we've been sports driven.
"We just want to live a bit of a normal life now. I want to go back to work in the hospital [St Vincent's in Fairview] and just be doing normal things and spending time with my family and friends".
With normality the goal post Paris, a pro-boxing career is out of the picture, even if she maintains a keen interest in some former competitors.
"I will definitely be watching that," she says of the recently announced Katie Taylor rematch against Amanda Serrano.
"But I know it wouldn't be something that would appeal to me. I think in sport there has to be a time where enough is enough."
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