Sunday’s news and reaction from Paris 2024

Many Irish competitors were in action on day two of Paris 2024.

Main Headlines

Three of the five Irish boats in action this morning, including reigning Olympic champions Fintan McCarthy and Paul O’Donovan, qualified directly through to the semi-finals of their respective events.

The women’s lightweight double qualifying for the repechage tomorrow where they will have a second chance to secure a semi-final spot, and the women’s four also going to the repechage of their event.

Sligo’s Sligo swimmer Mona McSharry set a new Irish record of 1:05.51 in the semi-final of the women’s 100m breaststroke as she qualified in style for tomorrow night’s final ranked second on times.

Tokyo bronze medallist Aidan Walsh lost out to his hometown opponent Makan Traore of France in the preliminaries of the welterweight division (71kg).

Sarah Ennis was the first of the Eventing trio to tackle the cross country course at the Palace of Versailles and got them off to a great start with a clear round and only a minor time penalty.

Susie Berry also with a clear round and just some time penalties.

Austin O’Connor was the final Irish rider out and recorded a clear round without any time penalties.

Eventing Team Ireland have been forced to replace Sarah Ennis and Action Lady M with Aoife Clarke and Sportsfield Freelance as a result of a minor injury to Ennis’ horse after this morning’s effort.

Sailors Robert Dickson and Seán Waddilove impressed to win the third of their 12 qualifying races in the Skiff this afternoon, having earlier placed  fourth in the second race.

Boxing Offaly welterweight (66kg) Grainne Walsh was beaten by Hungarian opponent Anna Luca Hamori in the preliminaries 4-1.

The first ever Irish Women’s Rugby Sevens team at an Olympic Games bounced back from an earlier 21-12 to Britain with a 38-0 win over South Africa.

 Swimming

“I can’t ask for anything better”

Earlier in the day, McSharry had impressed on her Paris debut with her second fastest time ever in the 100m Breaststroke to advance to this evening’s semi-final in third place overall. Out in 30.82 and home in 34.92, the Tokyo finalist in the event clocked 1:05.74, just outside her Irish Record of 1:05.55 from the 2023 World Championships.

McSharry was second in her heat behind China’s Qianting Tang (1:05.63), with South Africa’s Tatijana Smith posting the fastest time of the heats in 1:05.00.

Rowing

Day two was very successful, with the Lightweight Women’s Double Sculls in the Repêchage tomorrow and the Women’s Four on Wednesday, while the remaining five boats go straight through to the semi-finals later in the week.

Women’s Pair (Fiona Murtagh & Aifric Keogh)
Fiona Murtagh and Aifric Keogh demonstrated their strength and synergy, finishing 2nd in their heat. Their performance secured them a place in the Semi Final on Wednesday, starting at 9:54 am GMT.

Men’s Pair (Ross Corrigan & Nathan Timoney)
In a nail-biting photo finish, Ross Corrigan and Nathan Timoney clinched 3rd place in their heat, ensuring their progression to the Semi Final on Wednesday, beginning at 9:34 am GMT.

Lightweight Women’s Double Sculls (Mags Cremen & Aoife Casey)
Mags Cremen and Aoife Casey fought hard to secure 3rd place in their heat. They will compete in the Repêchage tomorrow, Monday, at 10:00 am GMT, aiming for a spot in the Semi Final.

Lightweight Men’s Double Sculls (Fintan McCarthy & Paul O’Donovan)
Reigning Olympic Champions Paul O’Donovan and Fintan McCarthy opened their Paris campaign with another convincing win in the heats of the LM2x. Moving up into first place after 600 meters, there was no catching the Irish double as they increased their lead stroke by stroke. Cruising through the finish line, there was never a doubt on their progression to the next round. They take to the water next on Wednesday morning where they will need to be in the top three to make it to the final.

Women’s Four (Emily Hegarty, Eimear Lambe, Natalie Long, Imogen Magner)
The Women’s Four team of Emily Hegarty, Eimear Lambe, Natalie Long, and Imogen Magner put in a solid performance, securing 3rd place in their heat. They will compete in the Repêchage on Tuesday at 10:30 am GMT, seeking to advance further in the competition.

Garth Young, Rowing Ireland High Performance Chairperson said of the Irish rowing squad:

“The absolute belief, drive, dedication, and commitment of our athletes and coaches are truly inspiring. It is this unwavering determination that fuels their pursuit of excellence on the world stage. The athletes have shown incredible resilience and strength, not just in their physical training but also in their mental preparation and focus.

“We are confident in our team’s potential to perform to their very best at these Games, and we are deeply grateful to everyone who has supported us along the way.”

Boxing

Aidan Walsh’s dream of winning a second Olympic boxing medal ended with a 4-0 defeat by France’s Mahan Traore in the preliminary round of the 71kg at  the North Paris Arena. The Tokyo bronze medallist got off to a great start, winning the first round unanimously on a 5-0 score.

Traore got in a big right hand early on the re-start and won the second round 4-1, leaving everything hinged on the final round. The Belfast man’s hopes of progressing were dealt a hammer blow early in the third when he got an official warning for ‘holding’, which automatically docked him by a point, resulting in victory for the home boxer on a 4-0 decision.

Afterwards Walsh said: “When you win the first round so clearly you just keep doing what you’re doing and it just usually goes for you. I know I got a warning in the third, I don’t really know why because I’ve been doing that all my career, hitting and holding. Usually you get a few cautions before you get a proper warning, but the referees seem to be clamping down on that in the last few months.

“I’m obviously bitterly disappointed”

There was huge disappointment for Offaly boxer Gráinne Walsh whose Olympic debut ended in a 4-1 split decision defeat by Hungary’s Anna Luca Hamori in the preliminary round of the 66kg welterweight division.

Afterwards Walsh said: “I’m obviously bitterly disappointed. I just feel like I didn’t get a flow at all. I’m a fighter that relies very much on getting into my flow and using my reflexes and stuff. Anytime I got close she was leaning on me. I was trying to set my hands free. “I’m not blaming her for it. She did what she had to do to win the fight. I’m just frustrated,”

Monkstown BC’s first ever Olympian Jack Marley have Ireland a first victory in the ring at Paris 2024 when defeating Bereznicki of Poland in the last 16 of the heavyweight division (92kg) this evening.

“I knew I had to start as I mean to go on”

Equestrian

Sarah Ennis got the Irish team off to an almost perfect start on Eventing day two in Versailles. After a slightly disappointing score in her dressage test yesterday, Ennis and Action Lady M came home on a score of 41.2 after a clear round with just 3.2 time penalties to bring the Irish back into contention with Susie Berry and Austin O’Connor to come later. Pathfinder Ennis set off fourth of all competitors and superbly navigated the track coming home just outside the allowed time.

“She was incredible – where the crowds didn’t help in the dressage ring, they actually helped out there today. I’ve never seen so many people! She can be a little spooky and she actually backed away from the crowds, and I could ride around the turns. I stuck to the plan, and she was on it all the way. The ground hasn’t dried overnight and I nearly slipped in the woods but that was the only real scare. She actually lost a couple of shoes out on the track so fair dues to her – it really was a brilliant performance.”

Susie Berry followed up with another clear round on board Wellfields Lincoln, finishing with 15.2 time penalties. After a score of 33.0 in dressage yesterday, Berry moves to 48.2 after day two and, with the complexion of the competition ever changing with eliminations and retirements to riders from fancied nations, the Irish remain optimistic.

Cork’s Austin O’Connor delivered a foot-perfect clear cross country round within the time on board Colorado Blue to lie 14th individually in the Eventing. O’Connor and his grey came home one second under the limit to remain on his dressage score of 31.7 – leaving Ireland on a team total of 121.10 in eighth place. O’Connor was delighted and relieved in equal measure with his performance.

“He was electric … he’s just phenomenal”

“He was electric, even with his reputation on the cross country it’s a massive mighty relief to have it behind us. He was super the whole the whole way around. He was quick, he was good, he did what he’s good at – clear inside the time for the second time at an Olympics. He’s just phenomenal, and I’m beginning to hope he stays around forever. He’s an incredible horse, whatever he does from here on, he’s been the horse of a lifetime for me and he’s feeling as good as ever.”

Sailing

Ireland’s Robert Dickson (Howth Yacht Club) and Seán Waddilove (Skerries Sailing Club) started their second Olympic Games as they did their first in Tokyo three years ago with a race win on their opening day in Marseille in the Men’s Skiff event.

The Dublin pair were ninth in the first race but then scored a fourth in their second, with both races sailed in very light winds. After a move to a different course for the third race of the day, the breeze picked up and Dickson and Waddilove led for the entire race. The last race win put them into second place overnight with a further three days of fleet racing to sail.

“Probably three firsts would have been nice,” commented Waddilove when asked if a better opening day could be scripted. “But it was very tricky – the first two races – so we’re really happy to come away with the results we did.”

Their standout performance was in the third and final race where they finished first as conditions improved and the breeze strengthened. Dickson and Waddilove.

Women’s Rugby Sevens

Ireland Women’s Sevens made history on Sunday afternoon as they ran out for their long-awaited Olympic Games debut at Stade de France, but their Paris opener ultimately ended in disappointment as they suffered a 21-12 defeat to Britain.

A first-half double from Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe had given Ireland a half-time lead against familiar rivals Britain, but two quickfire tries at the start of the second half put GB in the lead and they showed composure to see the result out and claim the first win of Pool A.

Speaking afterwards, captain Lucy Mulhall Rock said:

“That result means we’re not where we want to be after game one but I’m extremely proud of the team for the fight we showed throughout. Unfortunately we lost possession at key moments at the start of the second half and that cost us, but we need to take our learnings from that and move on quickly now. 

Team Ireland Results Sunday, 28th July 2024

Rowing, Women’s Pair (W2-), Fiona Murtagh & Aifric Keogh, 2nd in heat in 7:28.22, straight through to semi-finals (31stJul)

Rowing, Men’s Pair (M2-), Ross Corrigan & Nathan Timoney, 3rd in heat in 6:32.69, straight through to semi-finals (31stJul)

Rowing, Women’s Lightweight Double Sculls (LW2x), Margaret Cremen & Aoife Casey, 3rd in heat in 7:12.89, through to repechage tomorrow (29Jul)

Boxing, Men’s 71kg, Prelims (Rd of 32), Aidan Walsh Beaten by Traore (FRA) 4-0

Swimming, Women’s 100m Breaststroke, Mona McSharry, 2nd in heat in 1:05.74, through to semi-final tonight, (S/F 2/2)

Equestrian – Eventing Cross Country – team and individual, Sarah Ennis, on a score of 41.20

Rowing, Men’s Lightweight Double Sculls (LM2x), Paul O’Donovan & Fintan McCarthy, 1st in heat in 6:34.12, through to semi-finals (31stJul)

Rowing, Women’s Four (W4-), Emily Hegarty, Natalie Long, Eimear Lambe & Imogen Magner, 3rd in heat in 6:51.75, through to repechage (30thJul)

Equestrian – Eventing Cross Country – team and individual, Susie Berry, on a score of 48.2

Sailing, Men’s Skiff, Robert Dickson and Seán Waddilove, 9th in race 1

Equestrian – Eventing Cross Country – team and individual, Austin O’Connor, on a score of 31.70, team currently 8th overall with show jumping tomorrow

Sailing, Men’s Skiff, Robert Dickson and Seán Waddilove, 4th in race 2

Sailing, Men’s Skiff, Robert Dickson and Seán Waddilove, 1st in race 3, lying 2nd with 9 qualifying races to go

Women’s Rugby Sevens, Pool B, Ireland 12-21 Great Britain

Boxing, Women’s 66kg, Grainne Walsh Beaten by Anna Luca Hamori (HUN) 4-1 split decision