Katie Taylor and Kellie Harrington have been voted Ireland's most admired sports stars of 2021.
Taylor defended her lightweight world titles while Harrington won Olympic boxing gold in Tokyo.
Both boxers received 16 per cent of the vote which was part of the annual Teneo Sport and Sponsorship Index survey. Jockey Rachael Blackmore, who was named RTÉ Sports Star of the Year and BBC World Sports Star of the Year at the weekend, finished third with nine per cent.
Harrington's Olympic gold was voted Ireland's great sporting achievement of the year, topping the poll with 20 per cent, just ahead of Ireland beating the All Blacks in November. Rachael Blackmore's feats at Cheltenham, and victory on board Minella Times in the Aintree Grand National, finished third with 11 per cent.
Ireland’s Favourite Sport
Soccer – 18%
Gaelic Games – 18%
Rugby – 14%
Tennis – 6%
Athletics, basketball, golf, horse racing, triathlon – 3% each
Team of the Year
Team Ireland, Tokyo Olympics – 24%
Ireland men’s Rugby – 22%
Team Ireland Paralympics, Tokyo 2020 – 15%
Ireland women’s soccer team – 12%
Limerick senior hurling team – 12%
Most Admired Athlete
Katie Taylor – 16%
Kellie Harrington – 16%
Rachael Blackmore – 9%
Jonathan Sexton – 9%
Paul O’Donovan, Ellen Keane, Tadhg Furlong, Katie McCabe – all 4%
Greatest Sporting Achievement
Boxer Kellie Harrington wins gold at Tokyo 2020 – 20%
Ireland men’s rugby beat New Zealand at the Aviva Stadium – 19%
Jockey Rachel Blackmore wins at Aintree and Cheltenham – 11%
Rowers Paul O’Donovan and Fintan McCarthy win gold at Tokyo 2020 – 10%
Boxer Katie Taylor defender her unified world titles against Natasha Jonas – 9 %
Picture credits: Sportsfile
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