Main Headlines

Three of the five Irish boats in action this morning, including reigning Olympic champions Fintan McCarthy and Paul O’Donovan, qualified directly through to the semi-finals of their respective events.

The women’s lightweight double qualifying for the repechage tomorrow where they will have a second chance to secure a semi-final spot, and the women’s four also going to the repechage of their event.

Sligo’s Sligo swimmer Mona McSharry set a new Irish record of 1:05.51 in the semi-final of the women’s 100m breaststroke as she qualified in style for tomorrow night’s final ranked second on times.

Tokyo bronze medallist Aidan Walsh lost out to his hometown opponent Makan Traore of France in the preliminaries of the welterweight division (71kg).

Sarah Ennis was the first of the Eventing trio to tackle the cross country course at the Palace of Versailles and got them off to a great start with a clear round and only a minor time penalty.

Susie Berry also with a clear round and just some time penalties.

Austin O’Connor was the final Irish rider out and recorded a clear round without any time penalties.

Eventing Team Ireland have been forced to replace Sarah Ennis and Action Lady M with Aoife Clarke and Sportsfield Freelance as a result of a minor injury to Ennis’ horse after this morning’s effort.

Sailors Robert Dickson and Seán Waddilove impressed to win the third of their 12 qualifying races in the Skiff this afternoon, having earlier placed  fourth in the second race.

Boxing Offaly welterweight (66kg) Grainne Walsh was beaten by Hungarian opponent Anna Luca Hamori in the preliminaries 4-1.

The first ever Irish Women’s Rugby Sevens team at an Olympic Games bounced back from an earlier 21-12 to Britain with a 38-0 win over South Africa.

 Swimming

“I can’t ask for anything better”

Earlier in the day, McSharry had impressed on her Paris debut with her second fastest time ever in the 100m Breaststroke to advance to this evening’s semi-final in third place overall. Out in 30.82 and home in 34.92, the Tokyo finalist in the event clocked 1:05.74, just outside her Irish Record of 1:05.55 from the 2023 World Championships.

McSharry was second in her heat behind China’s Qianting Tang (1:05.63), with South Africa’s Tatijana Smith posting the fastest time of the heats in 1:05.00.

Rowing

Day two was very successful, with the Lightweight Women’s Double Sculls in the Repêchage tomorrow and the Women’s Four on Wednesday, while the remaining five boats go straight through to the semi-finals later in the week.

Women’s Pair (Fiona Murtagh & Aifric Keogh)
Fiona Murtagh and Aifric Keogh demonstrated their strength and synergy, finishing 2nd in their heat. Their performance secured them a place in the Semi Final on Wednesday, starting at 9:54 am GMT.

Men’s Pair (Ross Corrigan & Nathan Timoney)
In a nail-biting photo finish, Ross Corrigan and Nathan Timoney clinched 3rd place in their heat, ensuring their progression to the Semi Final on Wednesday, beginning at 9:34 am GMT.

Lightweight Women’s Double Sculls (Mags Cremen & Aoife Casey)
Mags Cremen and Aoife Casey fought hard to secure 3rd place in their heat. They will compete in the Repêchage tomorrow, Monday, at 10:00 am GMT, aiming for a spot in the Semi Final.

Lightweight Men’s Double Sculls (Fintan McCarthy & Paul O’Donovan)
Reigning Olympic Champions Paul O’Donovan and Fintan McCarthy opened their Paris campaign with another convincing win in the heats of the LM2x. Moving up into first place after 600 meters, there was no catching the Irish double as they increased their lead stroke by stroke. Cruising through the finish line, there was never a doubt on their progression to the next round. They take to the water next on Wednesday morning where they will need to be in the top three to make it to the final.

Women’s Four (Emily Hegarty, Eimear Lambe, Natalie Long, Imogen Magner)
The Women’s Four team of Emily Hegarty, Eimear Lambe, Natalie Long, and Imogen Magner put in a solid performance, securing 3rd place in their heat. They will compete in the Repêchage on Tuesday at 10:30 am GMT, seeking to advance further in the competition.

Garth Young, Rowing Ireland High Performance Chairperson said of the Irish rowing squad:

“The absolute belief, drive, dedication, and commitment of our athletes and coaches are truly inspiring. It is this unwavering determination that fuels their pursuit of excellence on the world stage. The athletes have shown incredible resilience and strength, not just in their physical training but also in their mental preparation and focus.

“We are confident in our team’s potential to perform to their very best at these Games, and we are deeply grateful to everyone who has supported us along the way.”

Boxing

Aidan Walsh’s dream of winning a second Olympic boxing medal ended with a 4-0 defeat by France’s Mahan Traore in the preliminary round of the 71kg at  the North Paris Arena. The Tokyo bronze medallist got off to a great start, winning the first round unanimously on a 5-0 score.

Traore got in a big right hand early on the re-start and won the second round 4-1, leaving everything hinged on the final round. The Belfast man’s hopes of progressing were dealt a hammer blow early in the third when he got an official warning for ‘holding’, which automatically docked him by a point, resulting in victory for the home boxer on a 4-0 decision.

Afterwards Walsh said: “When you win the first round so clearly you just keep doing what you’re doing and it just usually goes for you. I know I got a warning in the third, I don’t really know why because I’ve been doing that all my career, hitting and holding. Usually you get a few cautions before you get a proper warning, but the referees seem to be clamping down on that in the last few months.

“I’m obviously bitterly disappointed”

There was huge disappointment for Offaly boxer Gráinne Walsh whose Olympic debut ended in a 4-1 split decision defeat by Hungary’s Anna Luca Hamori in the preliminary round of the 66kg welterweight division.

Afterwards Walsh said: “I’m obviously bitterly disappointed. I just feel like I didn’t get a flow at all. I’m a fighter that relies very much on getting into my flow and using my reflexes and stuff. Anytime I got close she was leaning on me. I was trying to set my hands free. “I’m not blaming her for it. She did what she had to do to win the fight. I’m just frustrated,”

Monkstown BC’s first ever Olympian Jack Marley have Ireland a first victory in the ring at Paris 2024 when defeating Bereznicki of Poland in the last 16 of the heavyweight division (92kg) this evening.

“I knew I had to start as I mean to go on”

Equestrian

Sarah Ennis got the Irish team off to an almost perfect start on Eventing day two in Versailles. After a slightly disappointing score in her dressage test yesterday, Ennis and Action Lady M came home on a score of 41.2 after a clear round with just 3.2 time penalties to bring the Irish back into contention with Susie Berry and Austin O’Connor to come later. Pathfinder Ennis set off fourth of all competitors and superbly navigated the track coming home just outside the allowed time.

“She was incredible – where the crowds didn’t help in the dressage ring, they actually helped out there today. I’ve never seen so many people! She can be a little spooky and she actually backed away from the crowds, and I could ride around the turns. I stuck to the plan, and she was on it all the way. The ground hasn’t dried overnight and I nearly slipped in the woods but that was the only real scare. She actually lost a couple of shoes out on the track so fair dues to her – it really was a brilliant performance.”

Susie Berry followed up with another clear round on board Wellfields Lincoln, finishing with 15.2 time penalties. After a score of 33.0 in dressage yesterday, Berry moves to 48.2 after day two and, with the complexion of the competition ever changing with eliminations and retirements to riders from fancied nations, the Irish remain optimistic.

Cork’s Austin O’Connor delivered a foot-perfect clear cross country round within the time on board Colorado Blue to lie 14th individually in the Eventing. O’Connor and his grey came home one second under the limit to remain on his dressage score of 31.7 – leaving Ireland on a team total of 121.10 in eighth place. O’Connor was delighted and relieved in equal measure with his performance.

“He was electric … he’s just phenomenal”

“He was electric, even with his reputation on the cross country it’s a massive mighty relief to have it behind us. He was super the whole the whole way around. He was quick, he was good, he did what he’s good at – clear inside the time for the second time at an Olympics. He’s just phenomenal, and I’m beginning to hope he stays around forever. He’s an incredible horse, whatever he does from here on, he’s been the horse of a lifetime for me and he’s feeling as good as ever.”

Sailing

Ireland’s Robert Dickson (Howth Yacht Club) and Seán Waddilove (Skerries Sailing Club) started their second Olympic Games as they did their first in Tokyo three years ago with a race win on their opening day in Marseille in the Men’s Skiff event.

The Dublin pair were ninth in the first race but then scored a fourth in their second, with both races sailed in very light winds. After a move to a different course for the third race of the day, the breeze picked up and Dickson and Waddilove led for the entire race. The last race win put them into second place overnight with a further three days of fleet racing to sail.

“Probably three firsts would have been nice,” commented Waddilove when asked if a better opening day could be scripted. “But it was very tricky – the first two races – so we’re really happy to come away with the results we did.”

Their standout performance was in the third and final race where they finished first as conditions improved and the breeze strengthened. Dickson and Waddilove.

Women’s Rugby Sevens

Ireland Women’s Sevens made history on Sunday afternoon as they ran out for their long-awaited Olympic Games debut at Stade de France, but their Paris opener ultimately ended in disappointment as they suffered a 21-12 defeat to Britain.

A first-half double from Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe had given Ireland a half-time lead against familiar rivals Britain, but two quickfire tries at the start of the second half put GB in the lead and they showed composure to see the result out and claim the first win of Pool A.

Speaking afterwards, captain Lucy Mulhall Rock said:

“That result means we’re not where we want to be after game one but I’m extremely proud of the team for the fight we showed throughout. Unfortunately we lost possession at key moments at the start of the second half and that cost us, but we need to take our learnings from that and move on quickly now. 

Team Ireland Results Sunday, 28th July 2024

Rowing, Women’s Pair (W2-), Fiona Murtagh & Aifric Keogh, 2nd in heat in 7:28.22, straight through to semi-finals (31stJul)

Rowing, Men’s Pair (M2-), Ross Corrigan & Nathan Timoney, 3rd in heat in 6:32.69, straight through to semi-finals (31stJul)

Rowing, Women’s Lightweight Double Sculls (LW2x), Margaret Cremen & Aoife Casey, 3rd in heat in 7:12.89, through to repechage tomorrow (29Jul)

Boxing, Men’s 71kg, Prelims (Rd of 32), Aidan Walsh Beaten by Traore (FRA) 4-0

Swimming, Women’s 100m Breaststroke, Mona McSharry, 2nd in heat in 1:05.74, through to semi-final tonight, (S/F 2/2)

Equestrian – Eventing Cross Country – team and individual, Sarah Ennis, on a score of 41.20

Rowing, Men’s Lightweight Double Sculls (LM2x), Paul O’Donovan & Fintan McCarthy, 1st in heat in 6:34.12, through to semi-finals (31stJul)

Rowing, Women’s Four (W4-), Emily Hegarty, Natalie Long, Eimear Lambe & Imogen Magner, 3rd in heat in 6:51.75, through to repechage (30thJul)

Equestrian – Eventing Cross Country – team and individual, Susie Berry, on a score of 48.2

Sailing, Men’s Skiff, Robert Dickson and Seán Waddilove, 9th in race 1

Equestrian – Eventing Cross Country – team and individual, Austin O’Connor, on a score of 31.70, team currently 8th overall with show jumping tomorrow

Sailing, Men’s Skiff, Robert Dickson and Seán Waddilove, 4th in race 2

Sailing, Men’s Skiff, Robert Dickson and Seán Waddilove, 1st in race 3, lying 2nd with 9 qualifying races to go

Women’s Rugby Sevens, Pool B, Ireland 12-21 Great Britain

Boxing, Women’s 66kg, Grainne Walsh Beaten by Anna Luca Hamori (HUN) 4-1 split decision

The post Sunday’s news and reaction from Paris 2024 appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

Walsh defeated Mauritian Merven Clair to progress to the semi-finals of the Men’s Welterweight boxing tournament at the Olympic games.

Four judges had him down as the winner, securing a medal for him, but the Monkstown boxer had to withdraw from his semi-final bout after injuring himself while celebrating.

The Team Ireland member was due to fight Team GB’s Pat McCormack, who ended up taking home the silver medal in the division.

However, the 24-year-old is over the moon with his bronze medal and said: “To be honest, it still just all seems surreal.

“Usually I’m out in the crowd supporting other people, but to be standing on the side is crazy.

“I just feel lucky and extremely grateful. Everyone on the team deserves to be here as well with a medal.

“But first and foremost I’m an Olympian along with my sister alongside a great team. Everything else is a bonus.”

Walsh noted that he feels extremely lucky to be able to be in this position – a bronze medallist after his first Olympics.

The fighter is excited to get back to Monkstown and see the support group that helped him get to such a position.

The most important part of the Olympic journey for Walsh was sharing it with one person from that group – his sister Michaela Walsh, also an Olympian.

Michaela was a huge supporter of all the Team Ireland boxers after her exit from the Women’s Featherweight tournament at the round of 16.

“It’s great to have someone like that. Someone who [is my] best friend and [have] grown up together.”

Now, he looks forward to putting his feet up and not having to worry about such a strict diet.

His post-Olympics mindset follows the same pattern that Kellie Harrington’s does as the pair look to make the most of their time off.

Aidan will return to his caravan with his girlfriend and eat whatever he wants after spending so long focused on Tokyo – he added that sweets weren’t available to him in Japan.

“I’m going to go to the caravan with my girlfriend in Carnlough and just take it easy – have a bit of Chinese, a tin of Coke and lots of chocolates, lots of sweets and just pig out.”

The post Aidan Walsh Has Not Got Over Bronze Medal Feeling appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

Harrington defeated Brazil’s Beatriz Fereira by unanimous decision to earn Team Ireland’s second gold medal at Tokyo 2020 and conclude a fantastic run for the 2018 World Amateur Lightweight Champion.

The boxer has not been able to take in her achievement due to sleepless nights after her win and the increase in media attention compared to her World Championship victory.

“I think it will take for me to realize what’s actually going on, it will take me a couple of weeks, to not be around the team, to not be in that environment, to actually realize what has happened, and what I have achieved,” said the Olympic gold medallist.

A large amount of her family and friends greeted Kellie when she returned from New Delhi with gold in 2018 following her win over Olympic semi-final opponent Sudaporn Seesondee.

However, there was a smaller group waiting for her at the airport because of the restrictions in place and a large media presence wanting to hear from her as soon as she touched down.

The media have had a huge interest in Harrington since her victory and the fighter did not get back to her room in Tokyo until 9 pm JST on the day of the fight because of a press conference and an RTÉ interview.

“This is the first time speaking to me Ma and Da [since the win] because I haven’t been ringing people or anything like that because I’m just so exhausted.”

The only person she spoke to before returning home was her partner, Mandy Loughlin, via Bernard Dunne’s phone for only ten minutes.

Harrington hopes to relax for the coming weeks after being on a strict diet since she began preparing for the Olympics.

She is also thinking about getting a replica medal made as the original one already has a scratch on it.

However, Harrington did not seem too bothered about the scratch and the boxer is excited to watch some television, listen to the radio and eat whatever she wants over the coming days.

“I just want to sit down on me sofa, watch some telly, or not watch telly – listen to the radio…It’s gonna be brilliant to just eat whatever I want.”

The post Kellie Harrington: Gold Medal Win Hasn’t Kicked In Yet appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

Meadow shot her second 66 of the tournament to finish out on her own in the leaderboard on 12-under-par.

The Jordanstown golfer finished five shots off winner Nelly Korda of Team USA – the gap between the pair after round one.

There were no faults on Meadow’s final round scorecard, unlike round two where she bogeyed the 10th hole.

Five birdies from the two-time Olympian ensured her a place in the top ten of the leaderboard.

Meadow’s final-day performance summed up her fantastic week from round two onwards and the composure she showed in previous rounds was evident throughout.

She finished among the top performers on the final day and just short of a medal.

The 29-year-old was four shots off a medal after the final day saw several challengers fall away as the trio and eventual podium of Korda – Mone Inami (Japan) – Lydia Ko (New Zealand) shone.

Leona Maguire had a turbulent final day that saw her bring an end to an inconsistent weekend.

The Team Ireland golfer came into the Olympics on a high after scoring the joint-lowest ever round at a major but could not carry that form over.

Her four birdies and as many bogeys highlight a weekend that could have gone so much better for the Cavan native.

A very poor front nine saw Maguire score three bogeys and head into the final nine of the tournament with a lot of work to do.

The former number one amateur golfer in the world made amends with four birdies in a six-hole span but a fourth bogey on the final hole denied her a below-par round.

Maguire comes home after securing a five-under Olympic performance and both golfers involved will continue their LPGA seasons.

The post Olympic Golf: Meadow Finishes 7th At Olympics As Maguire Stutters appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

Stephanie Meadow finished on a high after a rough start to go three-under-par for the day and seven-under across 54 holes.

Leona Maguire posted two 35’s across both sets of nine holes to finish the day on five-under.

Meadow expanded upon her round two form with a strong finish enough to maintain her chase of the medal positions.

The Northern Irish golfer struggled initially with a bogey on the second hole and did not correct it until hole 6.

A second birdie on hole 8 looked to set Meadow on her way but another bogey left her waiting until the back nine to mount her charge up the leaderboard.

A birdie on the 13th hole was left unaccompanied by anything but par until the final two holes where the Team Ireland golfer added two more to finish strongly and sit joint-10th.

Maguire finished on a lesser total for the day but her round was packed with action as she fluctuated throughout the 18 holes.

The Cavan native came out of the blocks like a bull in a china shop with two birdies in the first two holes.

Two further birdies on holes seven and eight moved her to four-under across the tournament and the golfer looked set to build on that.

However, a disastrous ninth hole killed her momentum after a shot went into the trees and she struggled to recover from it.

Maguire ended up posting a triple-bogey on the par-4 hole after the fiasco which brought her back down to Earth.

She never recovered from it until it was too late – a birdie on the penultimate hole to move under par – bringing an end to what should have been a fantastic day for the Team Ireland golfer.

Maguire’s final round will begin at 11:18 pm on Friday night at the same time as Switzerland’s Albane Valenzuela and Sanna Nuutinen of Finland.

The post Olympic Golf: Meadows Chases Medal While Maguire Stagnates appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

After an assertive third round, the Dublin fighter won via split decision put her in pole position to reach the final.

The match-up was a rematch of the 2018 AIBA Amateur World Lightweight Championship final and the scorecards led to the same conclusion – 3-2 to Harrington.

The Dubliner is now guaranteed a silver medal after reaching the final of the division and could win the first Irish silver medal of Tokyo 2020 or the second Irish gold after Paul O’Donovan and Fintan McCarthy’s win.

The tense first round saw Harrington come out on top after her early jabs were deemed enough for a 3-2 round win.

However, her nimble opponent, Seesondee, fought back in the second round to even proceedings.

A reoccurring right hand was a constant in the Thai boxer’s gameplan as she got into the groove of things in round two.

Yet, Harrington’s power proved too much for her rival to handle and a tough third round showcased that.

In contrast to her opponent, the Portland Row native’s left hand was her main weapon, and it was used often in the final round as she regained control of the bout.

Harrington’s split decision win saw three judges edge her on their scorecards with a 29-28 score but it was enough for the Irish woman to reach the final.

Harrington becomes the first Irish boxer to reach the final of an Olympic boxing division since John Joe Nevin at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

The 31-year-old will fight 41-year-old Brazilian Beatriz Fereira for the gold medal on Sunday morning.

Her five-nil unanimous decision win over Finnish pugilist Mira Potkonen alludes to a very enticing affair between the two finalists.

Team Ireland star Kellie Harrington’s gold medal bout will be shown live on RTÉ Two and will take place at 6 am on Sunday, August 8th.

The post Team Ireland Boxer Kellie Harrington To Fight For Gold appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

The Irish boxer sealed a dominant 5-0 victory on the judges’ scorecards to ensure the fourth medal for Team Ireland at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

The Olympics’ top seed had a unanimous victory on four of the scorecards (30-27×4) with only one giving her a mark below the maximum (29-28).

The 31-year-old built on her impressive Olympic debut against Italy’s Rebecca Nicoli with another strong performance in the quarter-finals.

The amateur world champion started strongly with a commanding first-round that saw the Dubliner take an early lead on the scorecards with four of the five judges giving her the round.

Harrington made the lead an unassailable one, excluding a spectacular third round from Khalif, after a dominant second-round left all the judges without doubt.

Her speed proved too much for her Algerian opponent and her movement was on another level compared to Khalif.

A trip over her own shoelaces threatened to halt her momentum but the Portland Row native maintained her advantage.

A less dominant third round still saw the Irish woman take a 5-0 win on the scorecards to finish the fight.

Harrington was confident of her success directly after the fight, telling her corner that “[she had] a feeling” that her performance would guarantee her at least a bronze after just two Olympic boxing matches.

Harrington will now face Thai boxer Sudaporn Seesondee in the semi-final after her progression to the next round.

The fight will be a rematch of the 2018 AIBA World Boxing Women’s Lightweight title fight in New Delhi.

Harrington edged Seesondee in the title fight to take home gold with a 3-2 points win after amassing three five-nil wins on the way to the final.

The post Team Ireland Boxer Harrington Guaranteed Medal After QF Win appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

The pair experienced some tough competition and were unable to keep up with the leading packs.

Ciara Mageean finished tenth in her race and went across the finish line in the first heat with a time of 4:07.29.

Sarah Healy rounded off her Olympics with an 11th-placed finish courtesy of a time of 4:09.78 in the final heat.

Mageean started her heat strongly but faded away as the race went on and she failed to keep up with her fellow competitors on the last lap.

The 2016 European Championship bronze medalist had a problem that hindered her performance in the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo.

Ciara Mageean tore her calf 8 days ago in her final hard track session – didn't run most of last week and began jogging again only on Saturday.

Tried her best to get to the line, tried her best in the race itself. Brutal timing for her.
@sportsfile#Tokyo2020 pic.twitter.com/Vdh1hwoLNK

— Cathal Dennehy (@Cathal_Dennehy) August 2, 2021

The UCD athlete tore her calf eight days previous to the race and did not run for most of the last week as a result, only returning to jogging on Saturday.

The 29-year-old ran a much more impressive 4:02.48 at the Herculis in Monaco at the beginning of July and that time will stand as an example of what could have been.

Sarah Healy crossed the line two seconds slower than Mageean did in heat three of the Women’s 1500m.

Healy started well like her Team Ireland counterpart but fell away much earlier as the quickest heat proved to be too quick for the Olympian.

The 20-year-old was out of contention before the final lap and missed out on making a semi-final in her first Olympic games.

The Team Ireland athlete put her disappointing Olympic debut down to her nerves and race tactics.

The athlete, who also runs for UCD, noted that she had never felt as nervous as she did for her heat and felt that it may have played a part.

The pair will head home after failing to qualify for the semi-finals but they will have high hopes for Paris 2024 in three years.

To find out who the other Irish athletes competing on Monday, August 2nd are, click here.

The post Team Ireland Athletes Mageean and Healy Fail To Reach 1500m Semis appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

Sam Watson and Tullabeg Flamenco

Carlow’s Sam Watson and Tullabeg Flamenco (ISH) were pathfinders for the Irish in the Cross Country. A fast round saw them pick up just two time penalties. Unfortunately, they also picked up 11 penalties when a slight rub broke a frangible pin at fence 14C. That put Watson on a total score 47.3 after Dressage and Cross Country and they now lie in 31st place individually.

Austin O’Connor & Colorado Blue go clear

Cork native Austin O’Connor and Colorado Blue were second to go for the Sally Corscadden managed Irish team. They produced a stunning round to jump clear inside the time to stay on their Dressage score of 38.0.

O’Connor and Colorado Blue’s  brilliant round, one of just six clears inside the time, saw him shoot up the leaderboard and having been in 49th place after Dressage, they are now in 20th position.

“I am delighted with my horse’s performance, the horse was great,” admitted a delighted Austin O’Connor.

“He seems to have recovered really well. He is a class horse. We will all enjoy the next phase now. We will get the horse recovered and myself recovered and hopefully come out and finish on a good note.”

Sarah Ennis & Horseware Woodcourt Garrison

The last member of the Irish trio to take on the Cross Country course was Meath’s Sarah Ennis with Horseware Woodcourt Garrison (ISH). They picked up 20 penalties for a refusal at fence 16C and 17.6 time penalties for a total score after Dressage and Cross Country of 75.70 in 39th position.

That leaves Ireland on a team total of 161.0 heading into the final Show Jumping phase.

Britain remain in the gold medal position in the team competition after they added no penalties to their Dressage score of 78.30.  Australia are in silver with France currently in bronze.

Irish Sport Horse Ballaghmore Class leads

Britain’s Oliver Townend and The Irish Sport Horse Ballaghmor Class (ISH) are in the gold medal position on the individual standings with a score of 23.6.

The Olympic Eventing team and individual medals will be decided following the final Show Jumping phase which takes place on Bank Holiday Monday.

The post Brilliant clear from Austin O’Connor & Colorado Blue sees Ireland move up to 8th place appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

It was a tense and thrilling final day in the Men’s Individual Stroke Play at Kasumigaseki Country Club today, the County Down golfer finished in a tie for 4^th after a thrilling seven-way playoff for the bronze medal.

Having carded a final round 67, 4-under par, McIlroy joined the 7-way playoff for bronze. Open champion Collin Morikawa (USA), CT Pan (Chinese Taipei), Mito Pereira (Chile), Sebastián Munoz (Columbia), Paul Casey (GB) and Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) all finished on 15-under par with McIlroy.

McIlroy made a 10-foot putt on the first play-off hole to progress while Matsuyama and Casey bowed out. On the next, all 5 remaining players made par. Morikawa and CT Pan birdied the third play-off hole to knock McIlroy, Pereira and Munoz out.

McIlroy determined to make Paris Olympics

Despite his disappointment at not winning a medal, McIlroy said of his first Olympic experience:

“It makes me even more determined going to Paris and trying to pick one up. It’s disappointing going away without any hardware. I’ve been saying all day I’ve never tried so hard in my life to finish third!

“It’s been a great experience. Today was a great day to be up there in contention for a medal. Certainly it had a different feeling to it than I expected but as I said, I’m already looking forward to 3 years’ time and hopefully go at least one better, if not three better.”

Offaly’s Shane Lowry had to settle for a tie for 22^nd as his final day saw him stall, shooting a level par 71. A bogey on the par 3 4^th hole, followed by a double-bogey on the 8^th put an end to his medal chances. Lowry birdied 3 of his final 4 holes to secure the top 25 spot.

Xander Schauffele held his overnight lead to secure the Gold Medal for USA, while Rory Sabbatini (Slovakia) fired a superb final round 61 to take Silver.

Gymnastics history maker Rhys McClenaghan

Rhys McClenaghan became the first Irish gymnast to reach an Olympic final. McClenaghan finished in 7^th place in the Men’s Pommel Horse final with a score of 13.100.

McClenaghan was second last to take to the pommel following a host of other impressive performances across the board. An unfortunate error early on though, saw him catch his finger under the handle of the pommel which resulted in a fall from the horse.

He regained his composure quickly though and completed his routine in magnificent style, with a clean dismount, but knew that it was not enough for a podium finish. His final score of 13.100 was a combination of a 6.400 difficulty score and an execution score of 6.700.

“I was disappointed with my performance today,” he commented. “It could have gone a lot better of course, just that one finger got caught under the handle. That one finger got caught, and that’s the finest of margins in gymnastics, where that one finger placement wrong can throw you off course. It’s the beauty of the sport as well the fact that it makes it so exciting. I’m excited to get back out there and just be better than ever.”

The post Golf and gymnastics news from Team Ireland appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.