Baku shines spotlight on unsung athletes

Not many major sporting events offer the chance for an intro that features both an Irish archer and an Irish diver – if only for one day.

It may be part of the strange novelty of these European Games in Baku, and yet it does afford Irish athletes such as Sinead Cuthbert and Natasha MacManus a brief moment in the spotlight in an otherwise greatly out-shined sporting world.

For MacManus, that moment came in the women’s one-metre competition. Of the 29 entrants, MacManus ended up 19 best in the qualifying group, after the series of nine designated dives.

Springboard

Russia’s Maria Polykova went on to win the gold medal, and Russia ended day seven topping the gold medal table, with 26 in all; hosts’

Azerbaijan

are next best with 13 gold medals.

MacManus, meanwhile, who is based at the Plymouth diving complex, also goes in the tomorrow’s three-metre springboard.

Cuthbert didn’t get beyond the opening round of the women’s individual archery, although the 33-year-old was drawn against the Russian number one Natalia Erdynieva, to whom she lost 6-0.

Later today, Darren Wallace goes in the men's individual archery qualifying, drawn against Italy's David Pasqualucci.

It's going to be another busy day for the Irish boxers down at the Crystal Hall, including a first bout for Michaela Walsh, who faces the Russian Elena Saveleva at bantamweight.

Miles Casey faces Elvin Mamishzada from Azerbaijan (at flyweight), while the other men tomorrow face Italians. Sean McComb fights Donato Cosenza (at lightweight), Adam Nolan faces Dario Morello (at welterweight), and Dean Gardiner faces Guido Vianello (at super heavyweight).

Ambitions

McComb has already spoken about his medal ambitions, even if his opening win over Tymur Beliak from Ukraine didn’t go exactly to plan, with one of the judges awarding the first round to Beliak.

“I want to win a gold medal, and I’ll be disappointed with anything else,” said McComb, who also fights out of the Holy Trinity gym in Belfast. “It’s a very tough competition, all the best boxers in Europe are here, including myself.”

Caroline Ryan also goes in the women's cycling road race later today, while Kieran Behan makes his final outing in the men's floor exercise with high hopes for a leading finish.

Indeed, the National Gymnastics Arena has been one of the better attended venues of these games, and Behan has looked and felt right at home in the middle of it.

His 17th place finish in the individual all-round final was disappointing, at least by his own admission, but he actually goes into the floor exercise with one of the top scores from his routine in that all-round final.

“If I can put in a performance, like I did in the qualifiers, then it could be good,” said Behan (pictured).

“My floor was good, in the all-round final, an improvement on my qualification score, and I feel I can still go even better, again. I improved a few elements, then on another few made some one bigger mistakes, so it’s about finding the happy medium.”