Team Ireland at Paris Olympics, Day 3: As it happened
With Celebrates Pic: Wire Ireland's Peter Byrne/pa Mona Medal Mcsharry Bronze Lisa Smile: Mona Her
Australia enjoyed a comprehensive victory over Ireland in the quarter-final of the women's rugby sevens competition at the Paris Olympics as they ran out 33-point winners.
It was the second meeting of the day between the pair after Australia overcame Ireland 19-14 in their final Pool B fixture earlier.
Their nighttime clash took place in front of a heaving Stade de France, seemingly stunned having just witnessed Canada come back to beat the hosts in their quarter-final.
Read the full report below.
In badminton, Ireland's Nhat Nguyen claimed his second victory in his group. He beat Prince Dahal (Nepal) in two sets 21-7 21-5. He will now face Viktor Axelsen on Wednesday for a place in the knockout stage
Mona McSharry won bronze for Ireland in the 100m breaststroke at the Olympic Games. The Sligo swimmer finished behind gold medallist Tatjana Smith of South Africa and silver medallist Tang Qianting of China.
She edged out Benadetta Pilata of Italy into fourth by one-hundredths of a second.
It is Ireland's first medal of the 2024 Olympic Games.
"I’m very excited!" said McSharry.
"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.”
On the race itself, she said: “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 50 – 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!”
Danielle Hill finished 8th in her semi-final of the 800m backstroke, swimming 1:00.80, well off her best. She finished in 16th overall.
Ellen Walshe has finished 8th in the final of the women's 400m Individual Medley at the La Defense Arena. The Dubliner was in a private battle with Japan's Mio Narita for most of the eight laps, eventually finishing in a time of 4:40.70.
World record holder Summer McIntosh won, as expected. The Canadian posted a time of 4:27.71 in a dominant race. McIntosh was a clear winner from early on and her closest challenger was eventually 5.69 seconds adrift.
After a second day of racing at the sailing regatta in Marseill, Ireland's Robert Dickson (Howth Yacht Club) and Sean Waddilove (Skerries Sailing Club) are lying second overall in the fleet qualifying series.
Six more races remain on Tuesday and Wednesday to decide the overall top ten boats who then contest a short medal race final to decide the podium on Thursday.
Dickson and Waddilove delivered a fourth place followed by a second and then an eighth in the last race of the day. That final race was the subject of a protest by the Spanish crew who claimed an infringement which resulted in disqualification for the Irish. The Irish crew still hold their second place overall but have now used their discard for a maximum score.
Dickson and Waddilove are still ahead of the Spanish crew on points and would ideally have preferred not to use their 'ace card' to drop a result like this in case of further upset in the crucial final races over the coming two days.
Nevertheless, the Dublin pair were upbeat about their day on reaching shore at the Roucas Blanc Marina.
"We had very light wind again for the first race," commented Waddilove. "We actually didn't have a great start as we wanted to go to the pressure on the left. We managed to get a lane after that and hold on to it with great boat speed, which helped around the course."
Conditions are expected to freshen over the coming days, wind that will be welcomed by all the sailors.
Kellie Harrington will box for a medal against Columbia's Angie Valdas, following the latter's victory over her Kosovan opponent on Monday evening. The 2020 Olympic champion's quarter-final will take place on Wednesday at 4.54 Irish time.
Liam Jegou finished seventh in the men's canoe slalom final. A last gate two-second penalty cost him dearly. Without it, he would have won silver.
France's Nicolas Gestin won gold in a remarkable 91.36 while Great Britain's Adam Burgess took silver in 96.84. Slovakia's Matej Benus claimed the bronze in 97.03.
Jegou, who grew up in Clare, had a total - including his two-second penalty - of 98.52 for his run.
“I had a blast," said Jegou.
"That’s the best paddling I’ve produced in probably a year or two. I’m delighted that I put it down on the day that it counted, it was a really competitive run.”
On touching the last gate, he added: “It’s tough right now but I had to go for it and finish up strong. It’s the slightest touch that puts me out of the medals but it’s such a privilege and honour to be in the fight for the medals. It’s what we all dream of and today I was almost there.”
Liam Jegou through to canoe slalom final
Tokyo Olympian Liam Jegou is through to the final of the men's canoe slalom after finishing sixth in the semi-finals at Vaires-sur-Marne.
That was more than good enough to progress with the top 12 in the 16-strong field making it through. Jegou's final starts at 4.20pm today.
Women Seven's Quarter final
Ireland will face Australia for a second time today in the Women's Seven quarter-final which will take place tonight at 9.30pm Irish time. Ireland lost 19-14 in the pool stages to Australia this afternoon.
Brendan O’Brien reports from La Défense ahead of a huge 24 hours for Team Ireland in the pool where three swimmers will contest Olympic finals. There may even be a medal or two
It took just nine minutes for Kellie Harrington to firmly dispel any doubts about her form as she opened her Olympic campaign with a win at the North Paris Arena this afternoon, the reigning Olympic champion looking as slick, agile and precise as ever in her 60kg round-of-16 bout and sweeping aside Italy’s Alessia Mesiano 5-0. Cathal Dennehy
It's official; Ireland's Sevens have qualified for the Olympic quarter-finals this evening, against either the Aussies again or New Zealand.
In the Eventing team of Susie Berry and Austin O’Connor with Aoife Clark, who replaced Sarah Ennis contested the final leg with the show jumping at the Palace of Versailles. Aoife Clark was up first and had just the one pole down. Susie Berry soon followed and also incurred just four faults for a finish of 31st overall individually. Austin O’Connor on Colorado Blue had two fences down in his round to see the team finish ninth overall in the team event having earlier today incurred a penalty for replacing Sarah Ennis. O’Connor did enough to make it to the Individual Show jumping final later for the top 25 finishers.
Ireland's women have lost out to Australia in the Rugby Sevens on a scoreline of 19-14 after an admirable display.
Daniel Wiffen secured his place in his first Olympic final with a convincing performance and time of 7:41.53 on Monday morning that saw him home roughly a second before his nearest challenger but said he still had more to come. Brendan chatted to the swimmer about Armagh, his Bastille Day birthday and that big stage.
Rowing The Lightweight Women’s Double of Margaret Cremen and Aoife Casey recorded a convincing win in their repechage this morning. Getting cleanly off the start, Ireland held a good position moving to the front ahead of the Canadian double The Chinese double caught some water in the opening strokes which led to a boat stopping crab, ruling them out of the top runners. Through the second quarter of the race, Ireland settled into their rhythm, moving efficiently in the water, increasing their lead as they went.
Afterwards Cremen has this reaction: “It was a really solid race so it was great, and felt good. It was our goal today to just feel in control and execute our plan. I think we did that, and I think we just wanted to be with the pack as long as we could and then have confidence in ourselves so that we can push through then with the fitness we have.” Crossing the line three lengths ahead of the Canadian double, who finished fourth at last year’s World Championships, Cremen and Casey head into the semi-finals on Wednesday (July 31st) with the fastest time of the two repechages.
Danielle Hill extended the excellent start in the water for the Irish team, her 1:00.40 bringing a 16th place overall and advancing her through to the semis of the 100m backstroke. She swims her semi-final in between Mona McSharry and Walshe’s finals this evening, at 7.57pm Irish time.
“What an incredible experience for a start, I had a French girl in my heat and the noise was deafening. They wouldn’t go silent at the start of the race, it’s something I’ve never experienced but can carry on now through the meet.
“I’m happy with how I put it together, the stuff that we’ve been working on is there and now tonight I’ve got to utilise what I’ve always had. I hope there’s another gear.”
Daniel Wiffen has secured his place in the Olympic final of the 800m freestyle with an impressive performance and time of 7:41.53 on Monday morning that saw him home roughly a second before his nearest challenger.
The reigning world champion in the event, Wiffen went out in the last of the four heats with 31 swimmers competing for just eight places. His PB and European record of 7:39.19 was almost seven seconds inside the man sitting in eight after those first three heats.
It was always well within his compass, basically, even in a heat alongside two world-class Australians: number one seed Sam Short and Elijah Winnington who has already won a silver in the 400m at these 2024 Games.
In the end, he was the faster in the entire field of 31, by over a second.
Ireland’s men’s hockey team went down to a second defeat, this time to Australia, at the Stade Yves-Du-Manoir, on Monday morning.
Corey Weyer opened the scoring in a dominant first quarter for the Aussies but Ireland improved and threatened in the second quarter with Lee Cole finishing from a short corner but Australia re-established a lead from a Blake Glovers penalty.
That left it 2-1 and it was the last score in a tight game. Ireland lost their opener 2-0 to Belgium and what was always an uphill battle for the only side in the group ranked outside the top ten (they are 11th) isn’t getting any easier.
Ireland has a second swimmer in an Olympic final this evening after Dublin’s Ellen Walshe booked her place in the big show for the women’s 400m individual medley at the Paris La Defence Arena.
Walshe finished fourth in her race and seventh overall and making the crucial top eight. Her time of 4:39.97 was well off her PB but that’s very much like with the trend here at the specially converted arena.
Walsh’s will race in her final at 7.30pm tonight, 55 minutes before her roommate in the Olympic Village Mona McSharry goes for a medal in the 100m breaststroke. A huge night ahead for Ireland.
Danielle Hill continued the excellent start in the water for the team, her 1:00.40 bringing a 16th place overall and advancing her through to the semis of the 100m backstroke.
: Bienvenue.
Team Ireland have started their Monday in Paris - and so have our team in the French capital.
Brendan O'Brien and Cathal Dennehy dialled in earlier for this podcast chat.