Army boxer Karriss Artingstall: 'I can hold my head up high' after Olympic bronze

British Army boxer Karriss Artingstall says she showed "anything is possible" by winning her Olympic bronze medal in Tokyo.

The featherweight fighter claimed bronze after a narrow defeat by Japan's Sena Irie.

She lost out on a chance to fight for gold as Irie edged a 3-2 split-decision win at Saturday's semi-final in the Kokugikan Arena.

Artingstall, 26, who serves with the Royal Artillery, made history when she became the first-ever female Army boxer to qualify for an Olympic Games.

Speaking to the BBC after her semi-final fight, she said: "You kind of beat yourself up a little bit because you wanted to do better.

"I'm not even going to lie to you – before I came out to the Olympics my goal was to just get on the podium.

"To leave here with something is better than leaving empty-handed.

"I can hold my head up high and just show anything is possible," she added.

WATCH: Karriss' mother, Laurette Dyer, and first coach Kevin Bradbury tell Forces News she will come back 'stronger'.

Her first coach, Kevin Bradbury, told Forces News: "Obviously we're 100% proud of what she's achieved, where's she's come from, where's she's got to.

"She's a bit raw at the moment. She thought she'd done enough, but that's boxing.

"I'm sure Karriss will come back better and stronger."

The Army Boxing team have returned to training in Aldershot for the first time post-COVID, inspired by Gunner Karriss Artingstall's medal win.

Cover image: Karriss Artingstall with her bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics (Picture: Yutaka/AFLO SPORT/Alamy Live News).