Olympics 2024: Team Ireland Results 02.08.24
By Heather Boyle, OFI Head of Communications & Sinéad Naughton, OFI Media Liaison
Friday 2nd August 2024
In this evening’s athletics session Ireland’s Mixed 4x400m Relay team missed out on a place in tomorrow’s final when they finished 5th in the second of two heats in 3:12.67.
In his Games debut Eric Favors threw a best of 19.02m in the Men’s Shot Put which was not enough to advance to the final. Another Olympic debutant Jodie McCann finished 20th in the heats of the women’s 5000m.
In swimming Ellen Walshe missed out on a place in the final of the women’s 200m IM after a 7th place finish in her heat.
ATHLETICS
The Irish Mixed 4x400m Relay team failed to advance to the final on day seven of the Olympic Games in Paris at the Stade de France. Despite the best efforts of the quartet, which comprised of Christopher O’Donnell, Sophie Becker, Thomas Barr, and Sharlene Mawdsley, they fell just short of making tomorrow’s decider, placing tenth overall with a time of 3:12.67.
Despite the disappointment, the Irish team were proud of their efforts: “We didn't run a bad race at all. It was our national record before this year and it looks like we just missed out. It was two places; it was very close. It's the first time we've missed in four years. On so many of those occasions we were on the other side of that, we just snuck in. To be fair we usually perform above our expectations, and today we probably finished where the paper suggested we should finish.” Christopher O’Donnell said.
Sophie Becker echoed those sentiments: “It's crazy to say we are a bit disappointed with that. But this team has been growing over the last three years, it has been harder to keep your place on the team. 400m running in Ireland is at a crazy level,” she said.
Thomas Barr, competing at his third Olympic Games, referenced that this may be his last time representing Ireland on this stage: “I was getting a small bit emotional alright, because it is setting in for me that it’s definitely my last Olympics, could be my last race, I’m not sure yet. I’ll take a step back and assess that. I’ve enjoyed the road so far and I’ve definitely enjoyed this experience as well.”
Meanwhile there was also disappointment for Eric Favors in the Men’s Shot Put as he didn’t progress to the final of the event. The 27-year-old Raheny Shamrock AC athlete was competing at his first Games, threw a best of 19.02m to finish 27th overall.
“It was rough. I’ve been dealing with a couple of injuries, but I tried to put my best foot forward but unfortunately it wasn’t enough to qualify. I’ve had a really weird year. I had this circled on my board, to become an Olympian and I achieved that,” he said.
Earlier in the evening Jodie McCann made her Olympic debut in the Women’s 5000m. The 23-year-old Dubliner finished 20th in her heat in a time of 15:55.08, failing to advance to the final.
“It was tough, so hot, I think that zapped me. I would’ve wanted faster but the majority of those girls in my race were like forty seconds quicker than me on paper. It went off fast, I was hoping it would start off slow so I could hang on but these things happen. I’ve just got to get faster,” she said.
SWIMMING
Ellen Walshe concluded her individual competition at these Games in the women’s 200m Individual Medley semi-final. Walshe, who became only Ireland’s third ever swimming finalist in the 400m IM earlier this week, swam her second fastest time ever, placing seventh in her heat and thirteenth overall in 2:11.35, just 0.43 off her Irish Record of 2:10.92.
Speaking after the race, the Templeogue swimmer said “I’m delighted to have gotten the experience to go out there again in the semi-final, it would have taken a massive swim for me to get back into the final and I probably just fall short of experience in the event, but yeah I’m delighted.”
She continued: “This meet has been anything you ever could have dreamed of in terms of racing wise it’s been amazing to have an epic, savage crowd behind us, I feel like deep down with the times and stuff it’s a bit gutting that you can’t come here and swim your fastest lifetime best, but I guess sometimes with nerves it just doesn’t work out like that.
Walshe returns to the pool on Saturday for the heats of the 4x100m Medley Relay.
HOCKEY
Ireland Men's Hockey recorded a brilliant comeback victory over New Zealand to finish their Paris 2024 campaign on a high at Yves-du-Manoir Stadium.
Mark Tumilty's side had been unlucky not to pick up points from their previous Pool B outings, but they put the disappointment of those results behind them to finish with a flourish on Friday evening, as goals from Ben Walker and Jeremy Duncan sealed a 2-1 win over the Black Sticks.
Despite conceding early, Ireland responded well and Walker capitalised on a mistake in the New Zealand defence to slap it past the goalkeeper for his first Olympic goal. Walker turned provider in the third quarter as he set up Duncan, who on his birthday, pivoted on the penalty spot and smashed home to give Ireland a well-deserved lead.
New Zealand pushed for a late leveller and had a series of penalty corners but David Harte was yet again heroic in goals for Ireland, producing a number of impressive saves to help Tumilty's men to their first win of the Games and a fifth place finish in Pool B.
Speaking afterwards head coach Tumilty said: "It was nice to get a result. We've been close all week and probably frustrated yesterday. But we asked the lads to show a bit of character today and I know we didn't start the game very well but I thought after that we definitely did lots of good things. The last quarter, New Zealand definitely pushed us hard on our Penalty Corner Defence (PCD) set up, but our PCD is world class, and we have a World class goalkeeper as well.
The guys spend a fair bit of time just making sure we understand just what the opposition offer from penalty corners and New Zealand offered plenty of variations today. David Harte offers that extra bit of safety there and I thought he was excellent today. He has been superb throughout the tournament.”
TOMORROW
In Gymnastics Ireland’s two-time World and European pommel champion Rhys McClenaghan contests tomorrow’s Pommel Horse final at the iconic Bercy Arena intent on making further Irish Olympic history.
The 25-year-old from Newtownards has won back-to-back World and European titles in the past two years, and made history in Tokyo 2020 as the first Irish gymnast to reach an Olympic final, qualifying in joint second place.
The miniscule slip that caused McCleneghan a rare fall off the horse during that decider, means he is still chasing an Olympic medal to complete his full set, which also includes Commonwealth gold (2018).
The County Down superstar got the highest score (15.200) in qualifying with a flawless routine which has earned him fourth place in the final rotation. USA’s 2021 world champion Stephen Nedoroscik matched his qualifying score but McClenaghan was ranked higher due to his better execution score (8.9), which is very much his trademark.
Nedoroscik famously won the world title in 2021 despite breaking a bone in his hand during the final and he has already won a team bronze in Paris. Britain’s defending champion Max Whitlock (31), who was third in qualifying, is the other obvious threat.
In Tokyo 2020 Whitlock became the first man in more than 40 years to retain the Olympic pommel title and he is looking to make further history as the first artistic gymnast to win medals at four Games.
In qualifying Japan’s Takaaki Sugino (15:033), Ukraine’s Oleg Verniaiev (15.033), and Kazakstan’s Nariman Kurbanov (15:000), were the only other gymnasts to score 15 points; the barometer at this level.
McClenaghan said he will slightly raise his routine’s level of difficulty for the final. That gamble often comes at a cost to execution marks but, after the heartbreak of Tokyo, it is one the brilliant Ulster man is willing to take as he attempts to win Ireland’s sixth medal of Paris 2024.
In boxing just one Irish fighter remains standing in these Olympics Games, and her class, status and history is such that Kellie Harrington’s fascinating lightweight semi-final tomorrow night is expected to rock the North Paris Arena.
Ireland’s reigning lightweight (60kg) champion has already made history by becoming the first Irish woman to win medals at two Olympic Games. She is already guaranteed bronze but has her eyes on a greater prize.
The St Mary's Tallaght BC fighter is looking to carve her name into Olympic boxing history, outdoing even Katie Taylor by joining Britain’s Nicola Adams and America’s Claressa Shields; the only female fighters to date to retain Olympic titles.
Harrington faces a very familiar and feisty foe in Brazil’s Beatriz Soares Ferreira, the woman she defeated 5-0 in the Tokyo Olympic final. Ferreira is a two-time world champion (2019, 2023) and a 2022 world silver medallist who also won the IBF world lightweight title in her fifth professional fight in April.
Olympic boxing now includes professional fighters and the Brazilian, coincidentally, is managed by Irishman Brian Peters who has managed Katie Taylor into the pro ranks.
Harrington has looked in brilliant shape in Paris and has already secured two unanimous wins on the way to this mouth-watering re-match.
In cycling Ireland’s two-man team of Ben Healy and Ryan Mullen are quietly optimistic ahead of Saturday’s 272.1km Men’s Road Race which starts and finishes at The Trocadero in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower.
23-year-old Healy, fresh from his recent debut in the Tour de France, will be among the riders expected to challenge for honours as he makes his Olympic bow on a course suited to his physical characteristics.
With 2,800m of climbing and 13 categorised climbs on a course focused on the west of the city before the riders return to race on a finishing circuit at Montmartre, Ryan Mullen will dedicate himself to keeping Healy in contention for as long as possible before the race favourites begin to assert their themselves in the final two hours of racing.
The peloton of just 89 riders rolls out at 10am Irish time with the first rider home expected at approximately 4:30pm.
The final morning of swimming at La Defense is a busy one, with nine of the twelve Irish swimmers in action. 800m Freestyle Olympic Champion Daniel Wiffen returns for the heats of the 1500m Freestyle; his favoured event. Wiffen is ranked number two in the heats with his World Championships gold medal winning time of 14:34.07.
Bronze medallist Mona McSharry is back in action in the 4x100m Medley Relay joined by Danielle Hill, Walshe, and Ireland’s youngest team member Grace Davison.
Hill will also compete in the heats of the 50m Freestyle earlier in the morning. Ireland’s fastest ever female swimmer who was the first Irishwoman to break 25 seconds at the Irish Open in May is entered in 24.68.
Conor Ferguson, Darragh Greene, Max McCusker and Shane Ryan will combine for the Men’s 4x100m Medley Relay. Ferguson and McCusker will be making their Olympic debuts, Greene competes in his second Games, while Shane Ryan will become the first Irish male swimmer to compete in three Olympic Games.
In golf Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry will aim to propel themselves into medal contention when the Men's Individual Golf Singles resumes for round three on Saturday morning.
Both Team Ireland golfers have work to do at the halfway point at Le Golf National; McIlroy currently sitting six shots adrift of leaders Xander Schauffele, Hideki Matsuyama, and Tommy Fleetwood, while Lowry is further back on level-par.
But conditions at Le Golf National - receptive greens following a storm in Paris on Thursday night - means it has been a low scoring tournament so far, leaving McIlroy feeling positive heading into the weekend as he bids to chase down the leading pack in pursuit of an Olympic medal.
"I don't even think you need to be super aggressive, because even hitting irons and 5-woods off tees, you're giving yourself wedges in your hands," he said. "If you put yourself in position off the tee, you've got plenty of chances for birdies."
Irish action from an athletics perspective on day eight of the Olympic Games focuses on Cathal Doyle, Luke McCann and Andrew Coscoran who will take to the track at the Stade de France in the Men’s 1500m repechage.
All three will be looking to seal one of three spots on offer in each repechage race after failing to progress to the semi-final at the first opportunity this morning. Doyle and McCann have been drawn in the first heat together, with Coscoran racing in the second.
Irish canoeists Noel Hendrick, Liam Jegou and Madison Corcoran will contest their round 1 races of their respective Kayak Cross events. Kayak Cross is a relatively new and exciting event, and this is the first time that it has taken place at the Olympic Games. The heats are run with four boats going down the course together, starting from a two meter drop. It also includes a full underwater spin halfway through the course.
Tomorrow Hendrick is in Race 3 against the French gold medallist in the Kayak Single, and Senegal. Jegou goes in race 7 against Germany, Austria and Croatia. Madison Corcoran goes in race 10 of the women’s event against France, Slovenia, and Algeria.
The top two in each of the races progresses to the elimination round and the rest go into the repechage for another chance.
In sailing after four races in the Men’s Dinghy Finn Lynch (National Yacht Club) sits 25th overall in the fleet series heading in to the 5th & 6th races tomorrow.
In the Women’s Dinghy twenty-year-old Eve McMahon (Howth Yacht Club) sits 15th overall at this point in her fleet series with three races complete and three more on the schedule for Saturday; race four was abandoned on Friday due to light winds so will be added back in tomorrow.
Both will be relishing the forecast of Mistral-type conditions on Saturday in Marseilles when winds are likely to gust to the maximum permitted range of near Gale Force; conditions which both usually have strong performances in.
RESULTS DAY 7 – Friday 2nd August
Rowing, Women’s Pair (W2-), Aifric Keogh and Fiona Murtagh, 2nd in B final in 7:08.88, 8th overall
Athletics, Men’s 1500m, Cathal Doyle, 9th in heat in 3:37.82, into repechage Aug 3rd
Athletics, Men’s 1500m, Luke McCann 8th in heat, into repechage Aug 3rd
Athletics, Men’s 1500m, Andrew Coscoran 15th in heat, into repechage Aug 3rd
Rowing, Men’s Pair (M2-), 6th in FINAL in 6:30.49, Ross Corrigan, Nathan Timoney
Swimming, Women’s 200m IM, heats, Ellen Walshe, 2:11.81, 6th in heat, into S/F tonight
Rowing, Men’s Lightweight Double Sculls (LW2x), GOLD IN FINAL in 6:10.99, Paul O’Donovan, Fintan McCarthy
Rowing, Women’s Lightweight Double Sculls (LW2x) 5th in FINAL in 6:54.57 Aoife Casey, Margaret Cremen
Sailing, Men’s Skiff, MEDAL RACE, 9th in race; 4th place overall
Golf, Men’s Individual, Round 2, Rory McIlroy, round of 69, on five-under for the tournament
Golf, Men’s Individual, Round 2, Shane Lowry, round of 71, level-par for the tournament
Sailing, Women’s Dinghy, , Eve McMahon 21st in Race 2
Sailing, Women’s Dinghy, Eve Mc Mahon, 16th in Race 3
Sailing, Women’s Dinghy, Eve Mc Mahon Race 4 abandoned, 15th overall in Fleet Series
Equestrian, Show Jumping, Shane Sweetnam, Cian O’Connor, Daniel Coyle, 7th in Team FINAL
Men’s Kayak Cross Time Trial, Noel Hendrick, 14th of 38 in 69.31, Round 1 August 3rd
Men’s Kayak Cross Time Trial, Liam Jegou, 18th of 38 in 07.81, Round 1 August 3rd
Women’s Kayak Cross Time Trial, Madison Corcoran, 35th of 37 in 83.49
Sailing, Men’s Dinghy, Finn Lynch, 26th in Race 3
Sailing, Men’s Dinghy, Finn Lynch, 22nd in Race 4, lying 25th overall in fleet series
Boxing, Women’s Featherweight (57kg), Last 16, Michaela Walsh Beaten by Svetlana Kamenova Staneva (BUL) 5-0
Hockey, Men’s Pool B, Ireland 2-1 New Zealand, Ireland finished 5th in Pool B
Athletics, Women’s 5000m, Jodie McCann, 20th in heat in 15.55.08
Athletics, 4x400m Mixed Relay, 5th in heat in 3:12.67, did not advance to final
Athletics, Shot Put, Qualification Group A, Eric Favors, best of 19.02m, does not advance to final
Swimming, Women’s 200m IM semi-final, Ellen Walshe, 7th in semi-final in 2:11.35, does not advance to final
SCHEDULE DAY 8 – SATURDAY 3rd AUGUST 2024
(All times are Irish times – Paris is one hour ahead)
8.55am Golf, Men’s Individual, Round 3, Shane Lowry
10.00am Cycling Road, Men’s Road Race, Ben Healy, Ryan Mullins
10.00am Swimming, Women’s 50m Freestyle heats, Danielle Hill, heat 8/10
10.30am Swimming, Men’s 1500m Freestyle heats, Daniel Wiffen, heat 3/4
10.44am Golf, Men’s Individual, Round 3, Rory McIlroy
11.05am Sailing, Women’s Dinghy, Eve McMahon Race 4, Race 5 & Race 6 thereafter
11.20am Sailing, Men’s Dinghy, Finn Lynch, Race 5, Race 6 thereafter
11.40am Swimming, Men’s 4x100m Medley relay, heat 2/2
11.52am Swimming, Women’s 4x100m Medley relay, heat 2/2
2.30pm Women’s Kayak Cross Round 1, Madison Corcoran
3.40pm Men’s Kayak Cross Round 1, Noel Hendrick, Liam Jegou
4.16pm Artistic Gymnastics, Men’s Pommel Horse FINAL, Rhys McCleneghan
5.05pm Women’s Kayak Cross Repechage, Madison Corcoran*dependant on progression
5.45pm Men’s Kayak Cross Repechage, Noel Hendrick, Liam Jegou*dependant on progression
6.15pm Athletics, Men’s 1500m, Luke McCann, Cathal Doyle, repechage – heat 1
6.26pm Athletics, Men’s 1500m, Andrew Coscoran, repechage – heat 2
7.39pm Swimming, Women’s 50m Freestyle semi-finals, Danielle Hill *dependant on progression
9.08pm Boxing, Women’s 60kg Lightweight, Kellie Harrington V Beatriz Ferreira (BRA)