Thursday’s Irish Olympics schedule
- 9.11am: Rory McIlroy (Golf – first round). Shot three under, 68.
- 9.30am: Zoe Hyde, Alison Bergin (Rowing – double sculls B final). Fourth in the B final and 10th overall in the Olympics.
- 9.54am Rowing, Women’s Four B final Emily Hegarty, Natalie Long, Eimear Lambe, & Imogen Magner. Finished first in B final and seventh overall.
- From 10am: Shane Sweetnam, Daniel Coyle, Cian O’Connor (Showjumping – qualifying). Ireland qualify sixth of 10 countries for Friday’s team final.
- From 10am: Tom Fannon (Swimming – 50m freestyle heats) Shane Ryan scratched. Tom Fannon qualifies for tonight’s semifinals winning his heat with the sixth fastest time overall in a new Irish record.
- 10.30am: Philip Doyle, Daire Lynch (Rowing – double sculls A final). BRONZE MEDAL.
- 10.44am: Shane Lowry (Golf – first round). Shot level par, 71.
- From 11.10am: Finn Lynch (Sailing – dinghy races one and two). Race one: 9th, Race two: 25th, 16th overall.
- 12.15pm: Ireland v Argentina (Men’s hockey). Ireland lost 2-1 and can no longer qualify for the quarterfinals.
- 1.43pm: Robert Dickson and Seán Waddilove (Sailing – Skiff medal race) Race abandoned for today.
- From 2.30pm: Noel Hendrick (Canoe Slalom – K1 semi-finals, finals). Finished 15th with the top 12 qualifying for the final.
- From 2.30pm: Eve McMahon (Sailing – dinghy races one and two) Race one: eighth.
- 7pm: Daina Moorehouse lost 4-1 to Wassila Lkhadiri (Boxing – 50kg Round of 16)
- 7.43pm: Tom Fannon in the men’s 50 metre freestyle semi-finals - finished 10th overall and misses out on the final
- 9.08pm: Jack Marley lost to Daviat Boltaev on a split decision (Boxing – 92kg quarter-finals)
Here’s Ian O’Riordan’s report from a controversial night of boxing at the North Paris Arena.
[ Daina Moorehouse’s Olympic dream ends after highly controversial defeat in ParisOpens in new window ]
Okay, that’s it from us here in The Irish Times for the night. Thanks to John O’Sullivan and Muireann Duffy for looking after things earlier on. We’ll have a report from the North Paris Arena incoming from Ian O’Riordan shortly and then you’ll have the wonderful Mary Hannigan for company on Friday morning as our rowers look to continue a fantastic regatta and add to Ireland’s medal haul.
“I don’t even know what I’m doing tomorrow,” says Marley when asked about LA in four years. My guess is he’ll be back.
“I left it all in there.”
“A bitter pill to swallow, but we won’t moan about it,” says Jack Marley.
So Ireland are down to 2 boxers from the 10 that came to Paris. Kellie Harrington, who is guaranteed at least a bronze medal, and Michaela Walsh, who has his first bout of the Games on Friday.
Boltaev wins on a split 4-1 decision and he goes on to fight for a medal in the heavyweight quarter-finals.
Round 3: Jack Marley has given his all there but Boltaev’s experience has been the difference. He’s only 21 and we haven’t seen the last of the Sallynoggin man.
Round 3: Boltaev catches Marley with a big right and that will be that.
Round 3: Marley is going for it but Boltaev is also catching him on the counter.
Round 2: Boltaev wins the round so Marley will need a stoppage now.
Round 2: Marley has been cut over his right eye and the referee says it was a punch.
Round 2: Marley mixing it up with a good jab and a good uppercut.
Round 2: Marley lands the best punch of the fight on Boltaev.
Round 1: Boltaev wins the first round 4-1
Round 1: Both fighters going for in now, but Boltaev looks to be landing the cleaner shots.
Round 1: Marley is on the attack early on against Boltaev.
And we’re underway
Here comes Jack Marley as he goes in search of another medal for Team Ireland.
Lazizbek Mullojonov of Uzbekistan has beaten Keno ‘Marley’ Machado of Brazil on a unanimous decision in the first of tonight’s quarter-finals and awaits the winner Marley v Boltaev bout.
Guruki takes the decision 3-2 and we’re almost ready for the heavyweight quarter-finals.
The swimming crowd has gone wild again as French sensation Leon Marchand storms home to win his semi-final of the 200 IM.
Bit of a delay to the late boxing as is often the case and the second of the men’s light welter quarter-finals is taking place now between Lasha Guruki of Georgia and the wonderfully monikered Bazarbay Uulu Mukhammedsabyr of Kazakhstan. Jack Marley is in the second of the heavyweight semi-finals, so probably another 20 minutes or more before he gets into the ring.
Okay, I’m going to take a breather here before the last action of the day when Irish heavyweight Jack Marley takes to the ring just after 9pm.
“It’s hard because I’m happy with my performance, I had a PB, but you want to make an Olympic final.” - Tom Fannon reacts to just missing out.
He plans to be back for LA in four years so his ambition of making that final will continue.
Heartbreak for Tom Fannon as he finishes in 10th place after a quicker second semi-final. The second semi-final was a dead heat between Great Britain’s Benjamin Proud and Australia’s Cameron McEvoy, who both touched the wall in 21.38.
Daina Moorehouse’s interview from earlier with RTÉ.
Jordan Crooks (21.54), Caeleb Dressel (21.58), Maxime Grousset (21.60) and Fannon (21.74) were the top 4 from the first heat. It’s the top 8 times through to the final with the second semi-final to come.
Fannon finishes fourth in another new Irish record of 21.74. Still in with a chance of the final.
Fannon is in lane 3 with American star Caeleb Dressel, the defending Olympic champion, is in lane 1.
Next up for Ireland is Tom Fannon in the first semi-final of the men’s 50m freestyle.
Simone Biles won her sixth Olympic gold medal, and her second of the Paris Games, on Thursday, seeing off a stiff challenge from Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade to capture the women’s all-around final for a second time. Biles’s US team-mate, Sunisa Lee, won bronze.
The 27-year-old returned to the summit of world gymnastics eight years after winning her first Olympic all-around title in Rio, becoming only the third woman in history to earn the sport’s most prestigious title more than once, after Larisa Latynina of the Soviet Union (1956 and 1960) and Vera Caslavska of Czechoslovakia (1964 and 1968).
Biles also became the oldest women’s all-around Olympic champion since the Soviet Union’s Maria Gorokhovskaya, who won the gold in 1952 when she was 30. She becomes the sixth straight American woman to win the title after Sunisa Lee (2021), Biles herself (2016), Gabby Douglas (2012), Nastia Liukin (2008) and Carly Patterson (2004).
The historic gold marked her 39th career medal between the Olympics and world championships, extending her record as the most decorated gymnast in history. Since winning her first national title in 2013, she has won every all-around competition in every meet she has entered.
We’ve had an update on the rescheduled Men’s Skiff Medal Race. It will now go ahead at 12.13pm Irish time on Friday.
Simone Biles has added the individual all-around gymnastics title to the team event she won with her US team-mates. We’ll have something on that in the next few minutes.
And fair play to Daine Moorehouse for giving an interview and so clearly laying out why she thinks she should have done better with the judges. She’s only 22 and she’s got a lot of boxing left in her. You just hope that decisions like than won’t turn her away from the sport.
That’s two fights in a row now where Ireland have been hard done by after Aoife O’Rourke’s defeat last night.
Daina Morehouse thought she pushed hard in the third round but lost it 4-1. “I don’t know, I don’t know.”
In the RTÉ studio, Bernard Dunne describes the decision as ‘ridiculous’ while Kenneth Egan calls it ‘absolutely shameful’.
The Irish corner is fuming over that result and poor Daina Moorehouse looks confused about just what she needed to do to win the fight.
Dana Moorehouse loses on a split decision and that’s a hard one to take.
Round 3: And Moorehouse did just that, but will the judges agree.
Round 3: Moorehouse needs to finish strong now.
Round 3: Moorehouse is up against it after that, but she’s still coming forward and is the one doing all the fighting.
Round 2: Moorehouse has lost the round 4-1 and it’s hard to see how they have come up with that.
Round 2: Moorehouse continues to land some great lefts and getting away from Lkhadiri’s reach.
Round 2: Lkhadiri has started to exploit her much longer reach but Moorehouse is still getting in her shots.
Round 1: Moorehouse takes the first round, up on 3 cards .
Round 1: She’s much the quicker fighter and she’s really rattled her French opponent.
Round 1: Great start from Moorehouse has quietened the crowd somewhat. She looks very composed.
We’re underway in the North Paris Arena
Welcome back to the evening coverage from Paris where we have two boxers in action, and a swimmer going in the semi-finals of the so-called ‘splash and dash’, the men’s 50m freestyle.
Bray flyweight Daina Moorehouse is the first of the two boxers in the ring when she takes on France’s Wassila Lkhadiri at 7pm in the Round of 16 after receiving a bye through the first round. And Sallynoggin heavyweight Jack Marley takes to the ring just after 9pm to take on Tajikistani fighter Davlat Boltaev.
In between Tom Fannon goes in the semi-finals of the 50m freestyle at 7.43pm after breaking the Irish record in this morning’s heats.
Lkhadiri has received a tremendous reception from the home crowd and Moorehouse a little less enthusiastic one, to put in mildly.
Here’s Johnny Watterson’s report from the first day of the men’s golf tournament at Le Golf National in Paris, where both Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry were taken aback by the level of support from Irish fans in the crowd.
Canoe Slalom: “I’m not very happy with it, I’m not very proud of it,” Noel Hendrick tells RTÉ after his 15th-place finish in the K1 semi-final.
The Kildare man said he felt like his “arms were empty” after an early roll that put him on the back foot for the rest of his run.
Sailing: Race two of the women’s dinghy event has been postponed. A chaotic day in Marseille.
Golf: After play was briefly suspended due to lightning, Shane Lowry has been able to finish his first round. He ended on level par with a round of 71.
Sailing: Confirmation that sailing in the men’s skiff event has been stopped for the day after the second abandonment of the medal race. We’ll keep you informed on the rescheduled race time once it’s announced.
Sailing: Away from the stop-start drama of the men’s skiff, Eve McMahon is in action in the women’s dinghy event after a delayed start to Race one.
The 20-year-old was home in eighth in the opening race, 1:13 off the leader, France’s Louise Cervera.
Sailing: My parting note is to tell you that the Skiff medal race started again, lasted 39 seconds, was abandoned again and that’s likely to be it for the day. As previously advised the race may take place tomorrow. But stay tuned for the official update.
Thank you for your company over the past four days, the inestimable Emmet Riordan will take over, regale you and keep you up to date with all things Olympics and you’re in for a real treat when Mary Hannigan takes over the day-time shift. As Edith Piaf once sang, ‘non, je ne regrette rien.’
Canoe Slalom: Ireland’s Noel Hendrick has missed out on making the final after finishing 15th of 20 starters in his semi-final, having previously qualified from the heat, with the top 12 making the final.
Golf, Lightning stops play: The players have been taken from the course due to a lightning risk with the first round in progress. Shane Lowry is playing the 18th. Rory McIlroy shot a three under, 68, five behind the leader Hideki Matsuyama (63).
Rugby: Just before I take my leave on the blog, it would be remiss of me not to acknowledge the retirement of Ireland Sevens captain Lucy Mulhall Rock, her Olympics unfortunately cut short by injury. During her 10 years with the Sevens she has been an outstanding player and captain and a delight to deal with, whether the results have been good, or less good. She will be remembered as a great Sevens player.
Mulhall Rock is retiring after proudly captaining the Ireland women on their Olympic debut in Paris. Posting on Instagram, Mulhall Rock wrote: “Sin a bhfuil. It’s been the honour of my life to play for and captain the Ireland women’s Sevens team for the past 10 years, but now it’s time for me to step aside and watch my amazing teammates and friends take this team forward and on to bigger and better things.”
Golf: Shane Lowry is one under through 16.
Sailing: Via our French connection in Marseilles, David Branigan: “After getting the Men’s Skiff medal race start, the wind direction shifted then dropped making the race unfair so it was abandoned. The Race Committee are now moving the course further out to sea in the hope of better conditions and the race will begin afresh completely.If the race is completed, Dickson and Waddilove must finish top four or better to be guaranteed a medal though they could still depending on the finishing positions of the other boats.
In the race that was abandoned, the wind shift saw Ireland in nearly last place, eighth at the first mark rounding but when the wind dropped they were back to fourth place at the next mark except the race had been ended. If no racing is possible today, organisers have tomorrow slated as a reserve day.”
Hockey: Ireland lose 2-1 to Argentina and with that the chance to progress to the quarter-finals of the hockey. It’s been a disappointing tournament wit defeats to Belgium, Australia, Italy and now Argentina in their four matches.
Golf: Rory McIlroy bogeyed the last to shoot a three under par, 68 on the opening day of the Olympic singles golf at Le Golf national outside Paris. He ran up four bogeys but this was offset with an eagle on nine and five birdies. Hideki Matsuyama leads on eight under following a brilliant 63. Ireland’s other representative Shane Lowry is one under after 12 holes.
Sailing. Race abandoned.
Sailing: Race abandoned potentially due to a lack of wind. Start again apparently. Let off for Ireland.
Sailing: Ireland are eighth currently, their leeway for a medal under threat.
Sailing: Six minutes to the turn for home. Stay calm when it’s calm.
Sailing: They’re off. Super light, wafty wind apparently.
Sailing
Skiff medal race: Ireland’s Robert Dickson (Howth Yacht Club) and Seán Waddilove (Sutton Sailing Club), will chase a medal in Marseilles. They were second following the 12 qualification races, on 73 points in the overall standings, five behind the Spaniards (68), and three ahead of New Zealand (76).
Seven of the 10 boats could make the podium. The medal race is over a shorter version of the course, with points scored in it doubled and added to the series points to decide the medals. Essentially Ireland would have to finish four places ahead of Spain in a 10-boat race to take the gold medal.
Hockey: Ireland were awarded a penalty stroke with the last play of the third quarter after Lucas Martinez stopped a penalty corner with his foot but Lee Cole, Ireland’s goal-scorer, had his shot saved.
45 mins: Ireland 1 Argentina 2
Golf: McIlroy’s rollercoaster round has taken a more lofty plane as he’s moved to four under par after 16 holes, four behind Matsuyama (-8) who is playing the last. Lowry (-1) is through the turn, playing the 10th.
Sailing: Ireland’s Finn Lynch finished ninth in the opening race of the Dinghy class. He has one more race today.
Equestrian: Ireland have qualified for Friday’s Team showjumping final after coming through the qualifying process in sixth place of the 10 countries that qualified for the final. The Irish team of Daniel Coyle on Legacy, Shane Sweetnam with the Irish-bred James Kann Cruz, and Cian O’Connor on Maurice finished on a combined total of nine faults. Coyle jumped clear, Sweetnam had one fence down, so too O’Connor who also had a time fault.
Hockey: Ireland have equalised at the Stade Yves du Manoir. Lee Cole with a beautiful strike from a penalty corner.
27 mins: Ireland 1 Argentina 1
Hockey: It was a short-lived respite for Ireland, as they concede a penalty corner and a goal from it in quick succession.
28 mins: Ireland 1 Argentina 2
Halftime: Ireland 1 Argentina 2
Equestrian: The Irish team of Daniel Coyle on Legacy, Shane Sweetnam with the Irish-bred James Kann Cruz, and Cian O’Connor on Maurice, have finished on nine faults after all three have jumped in the qualification event for Friday’s final. Coyle jumped clear, Sweetnam had one fence down, so too O’Connor who also had a time fault. The top 10 teams qualify for the final and Ireland are currently fourth with seven teams still to jump.
Golf: Matsuyama (14) still leads the way on eight under, Niemann (-6) is his closest pursuer, while defending gold medalist and Open champion Xander Schauffele is four under through seven. Tommy Fleetwood is four under through 16 while McIlroy (-2) has picked up a shot on the 13th is one ahead of his Irish teammate Lowry (-1); the latter has played eight holes.
GOAL: Argentina take the lead, a deflected shot from a penalty corner.
16 mins: Ireland 0 Argentina 1
Hockey: After the end of the first quarter Ireland and Argentina can’t be separated.
15 mins: Ireland 0 Argentina 0
Golf: McIlroy has bogeyed 10 and 11 and has dropped back to one under after 12 holes, the same mark as Shane Lowry (7). Matsuyama leads on eight under after 14 holes.
Swimming: Tom Fannon: “To be honest I am surprised by that time, I had a bad finish, I was long into the wall. I knew I was in my best shape coming into it. So tonight, I am looking forward to it, (I’ll) try and be faster.”
Equestrian: Ireland currently lie in fifth place in the Team Showjumping on four faults after two of three riders have jumped. Shane Sweetnam on James Kann Cruz had four faults while Daniel Coyle on Legacy had a clear round. Cian O’Connor on Maurice has yet to jump.
Golf: Rory McIlroy has found his mojo in Paris and turns three under after nine holes, three shots behind the leader Hideki Matsuyama (-6) and level with Scottie Scheffler (-3). Shane Lowry is back to level par after three having dropped a shot at the first hole.
Swimming: NEW Irish record for Tom Fannon (21.79) in the 50m freestyle on his Olympic debut. He qualified in sixth place for tonight’s semi-finals. Tom takes back the crown as Ireland’s fastest ever man in the pool. He will be back tonight at 7:46pm, Irish time.
Denis Walsh was on hand to watch Ireland’s latest bronze medal. The boys are receiving their medals from Prince Albert of Monaco.
[ Bronze medal for Ireland double sculls Philip Doyle and Daire LynchOpens in new window ]
Golf: Leaderboard
-4 J Niemann (Chile), M Schmidt (Ger), H Matsuyama (Japan)
Scottie Scheffler is two under, Rory McIlroy (-1) after six holes. Shane Lowry (+1) bogeyed the first at Le Golf National.
Philip Doyle: “We made a massive mistake at the end. We went early, pushed hard in the middle. The mistake I made was the culmination of all the work we had to do in the middle. We had to go early. The first time with a medal ever (in the men’s double sculls). It’s nice to write that into the history books. It’s nice to get a podium for the supporters.
Daire Lynch: “I think what the Romanian did we expected but we didn’t expect them to hang on. We were going toe-to-toe with the Dutch.”
Rowing: Doyle and Lynch win Ireland’s third medal of the Olympics to go with those of Mona McSharry (bronze) and Daniel Wiffen (gold). The Irish pair were never really in contention for gold or to be honest silver but they came through in the final 500 metres to claim bronze.
BRONZE medal, a first ever for Ireland in the men’s double sculls. Romania win, Netherlands, second.
Rowing: Banbridge’s Philip Doyle and Clonmel’s Daire Lynch have won a bronze medal.
Rowing: The Irish pair are still fourth, Dutch, Romanians, USA. 1500 metres.
Rowing: Doyle and Lynch are up to fourth through the halfway, 1000 metre mark.
Rowing: Banbridge’s Philip Doyle and Clonmel’s Daire Lynch are fifth through 500 metres. There’s nothing in it.
Rowing: Ireland’s Philip Doyle and Daire Lynch, in Lane three. We’re racing in the Olympic final.
Rowing: Here we go.
Golf: Chile’s Joaquin Niemann (-4) leads the first round of the Olympic golf first round, Scottie Scheffler (-2) is part of a group a couple behind while McIlroy (level) managed a superb up and down on four.
Rowing: But before that a superb effort from the Irish women’s four of Emily Hegarty, Natalie Long, Eimear Lambe and Imogen Magner who won the B final to finish seventh overall in the Olympics.
Rowing: Ireland’s men’s double sculls of two time Olympian Philip Doyle and Games’ debutant Daire Lynch are about the race for a medal.
Golf: The heavy overnight rain has made the greens receptive and slightly slower and the players are making the most of it with a birdie blitz. McIlroy (level) missed the fairway on four, gouged his second but it flew over the green and into shin high rough, lush and clinging from that rain.
Everything is better with Tayto. Other brands may also appeal.
Golf: Aberg (-1) makes birdie, Scheffler (-2) does likewise while New Zealander Grant Fox (-3) joins Schmidt at the top of the leaderboard.
Golf: Scheffler (-1) almost holes his second shot to the par five, third hole for an albatross. He was an inch away from hitting the flag but the ball misses and runs through the back of the green. McIlroy (level) gets the shot back that he dropped on the first. He plays a glorious flop shot from the heavy rough through the back of the third green to two feet and rolls in the putt for birdie.
Golf: Germany’s Matthias Schmidt (-3) leads after seven holes, one clear of a group of four players including Hideki Matsuyama
Golf: McIlroy (+1) follows up a missed birdie chance on the first with a bogey on the second, failing to get up and down from the bunker at the par three.
Golf: Scottie Scheffler (-1) holes from 15-feet for birdie on the first. McIlroy (level) watches his birdie putt from nine feet slide past.
In boxing talented Bray flyweight Daina Moorehouse will make her Olympic debut in the last 16 of the 50kg. Moorhouse faces France’s Wassila Lkhadiri, a two-time European medallist who beat her in the quarterfinals of last year’s European Games.
Monkstown heavyweight (92kg) Jack Marley, who made such an impressive Olympic debut last Sunday, is within one win of a guaranteed medal. He faces Davlat Boltaev of Tajikistan in the 92kg quarterfinals, a 6′1″ Asian Games champion whom he has never met before.
Following her historic success earlier Kellie Harrington’s semi-final opponent has been determined; Soares Ferreira, the 2023 world champion, who beat Netherland’s Chelsey Heijnen 5-0 last night. Saturday night’s fight between the pair will be a re-match of the Olympic final in Tokyo.
Swimming: Tom Fannon will make his Olympic debut in the heats of the men’s 50m freestyle. In May, at the Irish Open and Olympic trials Fannon became the first Irish man to break 22 seconds in the event recording a mark of 21.94.
Hockey: After a much-needed rest day the Irish men’s team continue their Olympic campaign as Mark Tumilty’s side chase their first win of the pool stages when they go head-to-head with Argentina at 12.15pm Irish time. Despite being winless from their opening three games, Ireland go into this tie buoyed by encouraging performances against Belgium, Australia particularly, and India. The Irish side need to win their two remaining matches to progress to quarter-finals.
In canoe slalom Olympic debutant Noel Hendrick from Kildare will be contesting the semi-final of the Men’s K1. They start in reverse order so the 25-year-old Hendrick will be second to go having qualified 19th of the 20 semi-finalists.
In golf Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry will begin their Paris 2024 campaigns at Le Golf National in the individual competition. McIlroy, who was agonisingly close to a medal in Tokyo three years ago when finishing fourth, tees off at 9.11am in a star-studded trio that will be sure to attract crowds around the course. He plays alongside the world number one, Scottie Scheffler (USA), as well as the number-four ranked, Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg.
Offaly’s Lowry, who finished in a share on 22nd place in Tokyo, comes to Paris in strong form having finished sixth at the British Open. Lowry tees off at 10.44am Irish time, alongside Byeong Hun An (Korea) and Nick Taylor (Canada).
In Equestrian Ireland’s show jumpers begin their Paris 2024 campaign this morning at the picturesque Palace of Versailles venue with the team qualifier getting underway at 10am, Irish time. The Irish team of Daniel Coyle with Legacy, Shane Sweetnam with the Irish-bred James Kann Cruz, and Cian O’Connor with Maurice, take to the arena with the aim of qualifying for tomorrow’s final.
Of the 20 competing teams the top 10 progress to the team medal decider, all starting on zero penalties, and a jump-off will take place in the event of a tie to decide the medal placings. The Irish have been in sensational form all season, winning at the Longines League of Nations and topping the standings, as well as a recent five-star Nations Cup in Aachen, Germany. Today’s qualifier will consist of each combination jumping once over the 1.65m fences, and the teams with the lowest combined penalties will jump last in tomorrow’s final. Ireland have been drawn ninth of the 20 nations.
Team manager Michael Blake had also chosen his running order, with Shane Sweetnam and James Kann Cruz leading the way. Daniel Coyle and Legacy will be second into the arena, while Cian O’Connor and Maurice will anchor the side. Giddy up.
Rowing: The Women’s double sculls and the fours contest B finals in their events where they’ll race for seventh to 12th places. The four of Emily Hegarty, Natalie Long, Eimear Lambe and Imogen Magner are up against Australia and Denmark.
Last month the Australian four raced at World Cup III, picking up a silver medal while the Danish crew finished fourth in the same event. Alison Bergin and Zoe Hyde are up against tough crews in the B Final of the women’s double sculls. In the centre lanes are Czechia and Australia. Czechia won the final Olympic qualification regatta in June and Australia won gold at last month’s World Cup. It’ll also be worth keeping an eye on the USA crew who won World Cup II finishing ahead of both Ireland and Australia.
In rowing three Irish boats will feature again at the Varies-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium this morning with all eyes on the Ireland’s men’s double sculls of two time Olympian Philip Doyle and Games’ debutant Daire Lynch.
Doyle and Lynch racing from lane three will be up against the widely fancied Dutch double regarded as the standard bearers in the event who are alongside the Irish pair in lane four. The crew from the Netherlands have been undefeated since World Cup III last year and won the silver medal in Tokyo, but the Romanian double in the outside lane are the 2024 European Champions.
Ireland beat the Kiwi double at World Cup II at the end of May so will be hoping to stay ahead of them as the race progresses, and again hold off the Americans as they did in qualifying. Spain, who were second to the Dutch in the other semi-final will race on the other side of the Irish pairing who posted the fastest time in the semi-final (marginally); a fascinating race awaits.
Good morning, John O’Sullivan here. There’s an air of giddiness this morning, possibly attributable to the prospect of further Irish medals today to go with those already won by Mona McSharry (bronze) and Daniel Wiffen (gold) but it’s also my last day on the blog.
I’ll be in dry dock as they’d say in Marseilles for the next while, getting a coat of varnish ahead of the new season. I am going for Cuprinol Garden Shades, leafy brown, autumnal.
Speaking of the nautical, the Irish pairing of Robert Dickson (Howth Yacht Club) and Seán Waddilove (Sutton Sailing Club), stand in second place in the skiff class in the overall standings on 73 net points, five points behind the Spaniards in first on 68 points, and three ahead of New Zealand in third on 76 points heading into today’s top ten medal race (1.43pm, Irish time).
Any one of the top eight of 10 boats could make the podium. The medal race is over a shorter version of the course, with points scored in it doubled and added to the series points (12 races) to decide the medals. Essentially Ireland would have to finish four places ahead of Spain in a 10-boat race to take the gold medal.
