Day three

How the Irish fared

SWIMMING

What a difference a day makes. Just over 24 hours after failing to find her form in her favoured 100m breaststroke, Sycerika McMahon turned things around in the heats of the 200m individual medley yesterday morning.

The Portaferry teenager may not have made the semi-finals, but she shaved over a second off her personal best to clock a time of 2 minutes, 14.76 seconds. In terms of performance, it was well beyond expectations for the 17-year-old, who will come away from these Games with invaluable experience.

Although she finished third in her heat, McMahon was eventually pushed down into 22nd place as the heats progressed with just the top 16 advancing to the next stage. However, she will leave the Aquatic Centre with her head held high with a swim that bodes well for the future.

“Yesterday I wasn’t really very pleased with the 100 breaststroke,” McMahon explained after the race. “So today I just decided to go all out, to take that risk from the very start.

“I definitely think I could go faster . . . it was such a good experience coming here anyway. The goal was always to qualify so whatever I did after that was always a bonus. I’ve absolutely loved, every single second, there is such a brilliant atmosphere.

“And there is so much I can learn from these guys. They’re at the top of their game, in a few years I want to be there too. Even standing on the blocks beside them was really a privilege”

CANOEING

Hannah Craig did just about enough to make it through to the semi-finals in the kayak K1 slalom, the Co Antrim paddler qualifying 14th out of the 15 to advance. The 27-year-old had plenty of speed on the first run but got out of position and ran up four time penalties to leave her on 117.07 seconds.

Aware that the time wouldn’t see her through, Craig tightened up on her second run, incurring just two penalties as she posted an improved time of 108.99. After an anxious wait for the rest of the competitors to complete their second runs, Craig held on to 14th spot and clinched a place in the semis.

Both the semi-final and final take place on Thursday. "I'm really proud of how I paddled and the result was a plus," Craig said after the results were confirmed. "I knew I needed a good solid run in the second run and on this course there are no guarantees."

EQUESTRIAN

IRELAND has improved into seventh position in the team standings following yesterday’s cross-country phase of the eventing competition but only three riders remain in contention with Aoife Clark best placed in 21st individually.

Unfortunately, pathfinder Michael Ryan was unseated two fences from home when Ballylynch Adventure banked the first element of the Saxon Village, while Camilla Speirs, who had led the Irish challenge after dressage, was also eliminated when Portersize Just A Jiff fell four fences earlier, the Rose Garden complex.

Between times, Clark picked up just 3.6 time penalties on Master Crusoe for a two-phase total of 52.50, while, riding Electric Cruise, Joseph Murphy was slightly slower, his overnight score of 60.40, which included 4.8 for time over the fixed fences, leaving him in 29th position. Mark Kyle, last out of the Irish quintet, added 7.20 time penalties on Coolio and is six places adrift on 65.90.

The individual gold medal position is currently being shared by Germany’s Ingrid Klimke on Butts Abraxxas and Sweden’s Sara Algottsson Ostholt riding Wega (39.30), with New Zealand’s Mark Todd, who was last out on the course, in third with Campino.

In the team standings, Ireland are on a total of 178.80, with the reigning champions Germany topping the table on 124.70. Great Britain lie second on 130.20 and Sweden are third on 131.40.