Compiled by EOGHAN MORRISSEYand IAN O'RIORDAN
SATURDAY
9am: Triathlon
Ireland's second ever representative in the women's triathlon, Aileen Morrison, hits the water early this morning as a potential medal hope. Thanks to a fine World Cup season, the Derry native has a good starting position in the swim as she goes 1,500 metres in the water, cycles 43 kilometres and finish off with a nice run of 10km, all in front of an estimated 500,000 spectators.
10.20 Pole vault qualifying:
Tori Pena has made history already as the first woman's pole vault qualifier for Ireland, but that will be as good as it gets; with the qualification standard at 4.60m, or at least best 12 qualified, her lifetime best of 4.52 will require some significant adjustment upwards.
10.20am: Rowing
With a chance to finish as high as 13th overall in the competition Sanita Puspure goes in the C final of the single sculls. The Ballincollig based rower overcame the disappointment of failing to reach the A semi-finals by blitzing the field in her C/D semi-final, winning it by 10 seconds.
From 10.30am: Equestrian
Cian O'Connor and Billy Twomey start the individual showjumping competition, which runs until next Wednesday.
From 10.30am: Track cycling
Taking part in the ominous sounding ominum, Newtonards's Martyn Irvine has the flying lap, points and elimination race followed by the elimination race first upon Saturday.
Irvine qualified for the games by finishing seventh in the European championships. A combination of six different cycling events, the omnium replaces the individual pursuit, points race and Madison at these Games.
11.35am: 3000m steeplechase
Drawn in the second of three heats, and with only the top four in each heat plus the three fastest losers going through to the final, Stephanie Reilly will almost certainly have to improve her best of 9:42.91 to have any chance.
Noon: Sailing
Annalise Murphy goes in to the final two fleet races (12.05pm and 1.20pm) with the chance of a medal tantalisingly close. Lying in second place overall, just one point behind Belgium's Evi van Acker, she looks good for a high placing before Monday's medal race.
In the 470, Ger Owens and Scott Flanigan's tough times continue. They lie 25th overall but will hope to pull themselves up the field at 2pm and 3.15pm.
James Espey finishes off his Olympics in the Laser with his final two races at noon and 1.15pm. In 36th place overall, unfortunately he has no chance of making the medal race.
2pm: Boxing
Making his London debut Paddy Barnes takes on Thomas Essomba of Cameroon in the last 16. The 24-year-old, who also fought at the 2008 Games, had a 13-10 win over a Moroccan opponent in the first round but Ireland's bronze medal winner should have enough to reach the quarter-finals.
5pm: Men's 20km walk final
The 50km next Saturday is his main focus but the competitive Cork athlete Rob Heffernan won't be for off the leaders either on the 20km circuit around The Mall.
8.05pm: Women's 400m semi-finals
After a somewhat lucky escape in the heats to qualify as a fastest loser, Joanne Cuddihy is drawn in lane two, and must hold off the challenge of the likes of Christine Ohuruogu and Sanya Richards-Ross to make the final, with only the top two, and the two fastest losers, progressing.
SUNDAY
9am: Trap shooting
Going in his fourth Olympic Games, Derek Burnett will be hoping to improve on his best ever finish of seventh place in Athens. Disappointed by his 29th place in Beijing, the Athlone shooter qualified for London thanks to a bronze medal at this year’s European Championships and has an outside chance of a medal here if his aim holds true.
From 10am: Track Cycling
Martyn Irvine goes in the final pair of events in the omnium, the pursuit and scratch race.
11am: Women’s marathon
With 119 women entered to run, the challenge facing the Irish is evident by the fact that Irish champion Linda Byrne is ranked 97th, Ava Hutchinson is ranked 92nd, Catriona Jennings is ranked 95th. Sixty of the starters have bettered the 2:30 barrier; none of the Irish have.
From 1pm: Sailing
Disqualification in Thursday’s race seven dealt a virtual death blow to the medal chances of Peter O’Leary and David Burrows in the Star. They have qualified for the medal race in ninth place but lying 45 points behind third place Sweden it’s mathematically impossible for them to take a medal in what has been a good regatta for them.
In the 49er, Ireland’s pair of Ryan Seaton and Matt McGovern slipped back in yesterday’s three races and now lie in 11th overall. They’ll hope to pull themselves back into the top 10 today with good performances at noon and 12.45.
8.45pm: Boxing
With the prospect of a medal tantalisingly close, John Joe Nevin goes toe to toe with Oscar Valdez in a bantamweight quarter-final. The Mexican qualified for the last Games at the age of 17 and became the first boxer from his country to take a medal at the world championships, taking a bronze in 2009. Nevin has looked comfortable in these games so far but will have his work cut out for him to make the semi-finals.
