Olympics 2024: Team Ireland Results 29.07.24
By Heather Boyle, OFI Head of Communications & Sinéad Naughton, OFI Media Liaison
Monday 29th July 2024
Summary
Sligo’s Mona McSharry has won a stunning Olympic bronze medal in the final of the women’s 100m breaststroke at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. In doing so McSharry becomes Team Ireland’s first medallist at these Olympic Games.
Becoming only the third Irish female swimmer ever to make an Olympic final tonight Templeogue's Ellen Walshe placed eighth in the women’s 400m Individual Medley in a time of 4:40.70. Afterwards Larne SC’s Danielle Hill placed eighth in her semi-final of the women’s 100m backstroke in a time of 1:00.80 to place 16th overall.
The Women’s Rugby Sevens side were beaten 40-7 by Australia in tonight’s quarter-final and will now face hosts France in the 5-8 placings matches tomorrow afternoon.
Badminton’s Nhat Nguyen made it two wins out of two in Group P when he defeated Nepalese player Prince Dahal in straight sets. However the Irish ace now faces reigning Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen from Denmark in the group decider on Wednesday morning; only one from the group will advance to the quarter-finals.
SWIMMING
A product of Ballyshannon Marlins SC in Donegal, under coach Grace Meade, McSharry stormed to third in a time of 1:05.59. South Africa’s Tatjana Smith won gold in 1:05.28, with China’s Qianting Tang taking silver in 1:05.54.
McSharry, a graduate University of Tennessee where she has been part of the swim programme under her coach Matt Kredich, becomes the first Irish swimmer to win an Olympic medal in 28 years, and notably the first Irish swimmer to ever win an Olympic breaststroke medal.
Speaking directly afterwards McSharry said: “I’m very excited! I don’t think it’s fully sunk in yet that I’ve actually won a medal! I think once I get up on the podium it’ll all become really real but I think it’s just amazing because it’s years of hard work that have paid off and it just feels amazing!
Asked what she thought when she saw the result she said: “A little bit of relief, a little bit of wow – okay this is actually happening! Then just really excited to be in that position.”
Reflecting on the story of the race itself: “I could see the Chinese girl beside me so I knew that she was ahead of me so I was like I need to try and catch her because if she’s ahead then I don’t know what’s going on, on the other side – I can’t see that.
“I had a bad first fifty – my goggles filled up with water a little bit so not a perfect race but it just shows you’re in it until the end and you just have to keep going – I was like ‘I’m not giving up, I’m going, I’m going’ and I think it was 0.01 between me and the next swimmers so that’s kind of crazy, but that’s what racing is about – close finishes!”
Ellen Walshe, swimming in her first Olympic final, was eighth in the 400m Individual Medley in 4:40.70. The Templeogue native is just the third Irish swimmer to compete in an Olympic final.
Speaking after the race Walshe said; “I think when you look at the overall outcome, like I'm Olympic finalist, not many people are able to say that and yeah, I would have liked a stronger swim tonight and they thought I had a little bit more in me then this morning, but I think I tried to race the race beside me, then my own race at the start, so probably paid for it a little bit.’
Walshe is back in the pool on Friday for the heats of the 200m Individual Medley.
In the Women’s 100m Backstroke, Danielle Hill, swimming in her first Olympic semi-final clocked 1:00.80, for eighth place and 16th overall, just outside the 1:00.40 she posted in Monday morning’s preliminaries.
Speaking in the mixed zone afterwards Hill said: “Listen, of course I’m frustrated. I know where my best time puts me in that, but it’s on the day that matters. Felt a little bit heavy in the back half, so I haven’t seen anything except for the time and the finish, so I can’t really be too critical about it, because I haven’t broken it down. I wouldn’t say disappointed because I know everything I’ve done to be here, what I went through. I’ve left no stone unturned and unfortunately sometimes that is sport. I stand here proud of myself, I’m an Olympic semi-finalist, and that’s the guts of it. Of course the time could have been better but that’s the guts of it.”
Hill will be back in action on Saturday in the 50m Freestyle and will then lead off the Women’s 4x100m Medley Relay.
WOMEN’S RUGBY SEVENS
Ireland Women's Sevens suffered a disappointing quarter-final defeat to a rampant Australia side at the Stade de France this evening, ending any medal hopes at these Games.
Allan Temple-Jones' side advanced through to the knockout stages as the best third place team following the Pool stages but were unable to match the physicality and intent of Australia, who recorded a 40-7 win as star winger Maddison Levi scored a hat-trick of tries.
It was a disappointing evening for Ireland after they had pushed Australia all the way in their earlier Pool match, but the team can take great pride from their first Olympic appearance and they will be determined to finish on a high when they face hosts France in Tuesday's fifth place placing match at 2pm Irish time.
Speaking afterwards, Stacey Flood said: "It was not the performance we had been working towards but credit to Australia who showed their quality. We were unable to implement our game plan and unfortunately when you give Australia that amount of possession and time on the ball, they're going to punish you. We have to dust ourselves off now because there are still two games for us tomorrow and we will want to finish as high as we can."
BADMINTON
Ireland’s Nhat Nguyen continued his great run in badminton, making it two from two wins in his qualifying group by, literally, making short work of Nepal’s Prince Dahal. He only conceded 12 points in his two game victory, wrapping it up 21-7, 21-5 in half an hour. The Dubliner’s clever net play and powerful smashes forced his opponent into repeated errors as he built up a quick 16-5 lead in the first.
Even when the Nepalese man used his first challenge for a video review at that point, he lost it. Nguyen closed out the first game 21-7 with a dazzling smash and it was more of the same in the second.
“Really happy to get it done in two,” the Clarehall man said. “I know he was a little bit lower ranked and hasn’t played in a lot of tournaments but he’s quite skilful and tricky. Once I was neutralising that I felt I was dictating the play.”
His opponent was a former world junior champion but Nepal’s first ever Olympic badminton player with a ranking that was substantially lower than Nguyen (#43), who had already dispatched Israel’s Misha Zilberman in three sets.
But with only one progressing from each group, the two-time Irish Olympian now faces the ultimate test on Wednesday morning; Denmark superstar and reigning Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen.
“I feel I definitely have momentum here now,” Nguyen said. “Of course he’s the defending Olympic champion and world number two and I’ve lost to him the last two times but I have to believe going out there.
“If I walk out there like the last two times I played him I have no chance. I feel fit and strong and my confidence is high. I really feel I’ve put in the work, physically and mentally, and I’m just going to go in and totally give it my all.”
SAILING
Following race six in the Men’s Skiff the Spanish crew lodged a protest against the Irish pair of Robert Dickson and Seán Waddilove, alleging that the Irish boat impeded them in a manoeuvre, which Ireland challenged, but ultimately lost incurring a penalty of disqualification from race six.
After all 12 races in the fleet series everyone discards their worst score before the top ten boats are determined. The Irish crew will now use this DQ as their discard score, which is not ideal with further crucial races to come, but necessary. Despite this the Irish crew remain second overall in the series at this point.
TOMORROW
Three of the Irish rowing crews are back on the water tomorrow morning aiming to make it into their respective Finals. The men’s and women’s doubles must finish in the top three of their semi-finals to gain a spot in the final, and a tight top two finish is needed for the women’s four in the repechage of their event.
In yet another huge encounter in Pool B the men’s hockey team take on Tokyo bronze medallists India tomorrow afternoon in their third game of these Olympics.
After benefiting from a bye into the last 16 boxer Jennifer Lehane takes to the ring tomorrow morning against China’s two-time Asian Games champion Yuan Chang in the 54kg division. The Meath fighter has put her primary school teacher career on hold to become Ireland’s first female Olympian at bantamweight, when she makes her Olympic debut.
Following the later 60kg bouts this evening Kellie Harrington’s last eight opponent has been determined. Harrington faces Colombia’s 2023 World silver medallist Paola Angie Valdas Pana on Wednesday evening after the South American beat Kosovo's Donjeta Sadiku on a split 3-2 decision.
In Equestrian Abigail Lyle’s Olympic debut begins tomorrow in the Dressage Individual Grand Prix on board Giraldo, at the picturesque Palace of Versailles venue. Lyle is Ireland’s only dressage competitor and will bid to qualify for the Individual Final (Freestyle to Music). The top 2 athletes from each group and the 6 athletes with the next best scores (including ties) will qualify to the Individual Final (Grand Prix Freestyle).
In Badminton Donegal Olympic debutant Rachael Darragh takes to the court for the first time tomorrow in Group L when she takes on Jenjira Stadelmann of Switzerland; a medallist from the European Games last summer. Darragh; a niece of three-time Irish Olympian fellow badminton player Chloe Magee, has a current world ranking of 82.
Following Liam Jegou’s brilliant seventh place in the C1 final today canoe slalom team mates Michaela Corcoran and Noel Hendrick get their 2024 Olympic Games underway tomorrow in the first and second runs of the Men’s K1, and Women’s C1, respectively.
Following Mona McSharry’s historic bronze medal fellow swimmer, and reigning world champion in the event, all Irish eyes will be on Daniel Wiffen as he attempts to make his mark on these Games in the final of the 800m freestyle tomorrow night. The Armagh man is the fastest qualifier for that final on a time of 7:41.53 from the morning heats.
RESULTS DAY 3 - MONDAY 29th July 2024
Men’s Hockey, Pool B, Ireland 1-2 Australia
Equestrian, Eventing Show-jumping – team and individual, Aoife Clark, team finished 9th overall
Equestrian, Eventing Show-jumping – team and individual, Susie Berry on score of 52.20, 31st overall in individual, team finished 9th overall
Equestrian, Eventing Show-jumping – team and individual, Austin O’Connor, on a score of 39.70
team finished 9th overall, 17th overall in individual
Rowing, Women’s Lightweight Double Sculls (LW2x), Margaret Cremen & Aoife Casey, won repechage in 7:11.38, into semi-finals on Wednesday 31st July
Swimming, Women’s 400m IM, Ellen Walshe, 4th in heat in 4:39.97, into final tonight
Swimming, Women’s 100m Backstroke, Danielle Hill, 4th in heat in 1:00.40, qualified for semi-final tonight
Swimming, Men’s 800m Freestyle, Daniel Wiffen, won heat in 7:41.53, through to final tomorrow night (30th July)
Sailing, Men’s Skiff, Robert Dickson and Seán Waddilove, 4th in race 4
Sailing, Men’s Skiff, Robert Dickson and Seán Waddilove, 2nd in race 5
Sailing, Men’s Skiff, race 5, Robert Dickson and Seán Waddilove, 8th in race 6* - *pending official confirmation
Women’s Rugby Sevens, Pool B, Ireland 14 – 19 Australia, into quarter-final v Australia tonight
Canoe Slalom, Men’s C1 Liam Jegou, 98.52 in semi-final, 98.52 in final; 7th overall
Boxing, Women’s 60kg, Round of 16, Kellie Harrington Allesia BEATS Mesiano (ITA) 5-0
Swimming, Women’s 400m IM final, Ellen Walshe, 8th overall in 4:40.70
Swimming, Women’s 100m Backstroke semi-final, Danielle Hill, 8th in 1:00.80
Badminton, Men’s Singles, Group P, Nhat Nguyen BEATS Prince Dehal (NEP) 21-7, 21-5
Swimming, Women’s 100m Breaststroke final, Mona McSharry, BRONZE MEDAL in 1:00.59
Women’s Rugby Sevens, quarter-final, Ireland 7-40 Australia
SCHEDULE DAY 4 - Tuesday 30th July 2024
(All times listed are Irish times – Paris is one hour ahead)
9.50am Rowing, Women’s Double Sculls (W2-) semi-final 1 of 2, Zoe Hyde & Alison Bergin, only top three will go to final
10.20am Rowing, Men’s Double Sculls (M2x) semi-final 2 of 2, Philip Doyle & Daire Lynch – only top three will go to final
10.30am Rowing, Women’s Four (W4-) repechage, Emily Hegarty, Natalie Long, Eimear Lambe & Imogen Magner – only top two will go to the final
11.36am Boxing, Women’s 54kg, Round of 16, Jenny Lehane V Yuan Chang (CHN)
12.15pm Men’s Hockey, Men’s Pool B, Ireland V India
1.38pm Equestrian, Individual Dressage Grand Prix qualifier, Abigail Lyle
2.00pm Canoe Slalom, Women’s C1 1st run, Michaela Corcoran
2.00pm Women’s Rugby Sevens, 5-8 placings match, Ireland v France
5/5.30pm Women’s Rugby Sevens, final placing match TBC
3.00pm Canoe Slalom, Men’s K1 1st run, Noel Hendrick
3.35pm Sailing, Men’s Skiff, Race 7, Robert Dickson and Seán Waddilove
4.10pm Canoe Slalom, Women’s C1 2nd run, Michaela Corcoran
4.27pm Sailing, Men’s Skiff, Race 8, Robert Dickson and Seán Waddilove
4.30pm or later Badminton, Women’s Singles, Rachael Darragh V Jenjira Stadelmann (SUI)
5.10pm Canoe Slalom, Men’s K1 2nd run, Noel Hendrick
5.19pm Sailing, Men’s Skiff, Race 9, Robert Dickson and Seán Waddilove
8.02pm Swimming, Men’s 800m Freestyle final, Daniel Wiffen