From Olympic qualification to cycling, boxing, football and gymnastics, there was plenty for Irish sport to celebrate over the weekend. Here are some of the performances that caught our eye.
This week’s Champions of the Weekend is brought to you by PwC, our Partner in leadership and supporter of the annual Sport for Business PwC 30 Under 30 for the last ten years.
Show Jumpers Book LA 2028 Place
Ireland’s show jumping team secured qualification for the Los Angeles Olympic Games at the World Championships in Aachen.
With Darragh Kenny forced to withdraw, Bertram Allen, Cian O’Connor and Shane Sweetnam had no discard score but held their nerve to finish seventh and secure one of the coveted Olympic qualification places.
Gillespie Second in Tour of Britain
Lara Gillespie continued her rise at World Tour level with second place on the final stage of the Tour of Britain Women.
The 25-year-old finished behind only sprint superstar Lorena Wiebes at Royal Leamington Spa, another significant result against some of the world’s best riders.
Young Irish Boxers Deliver
Ireland’s underage boxers added another successful chapter to the country’s remarkable international boxing record, winning a strong haul of medals and delivering strong performances on the European stage.
The results provide another encouraging indication of the talent coming through the pathway and the potential contenders for senior international honours in the years ahead.
Eight-Goal Dalymount Thriller
The Premier League returned in England with all the accompanying noise and attention, but the League of Ireland provided plenty of entertainment of its own.
Bohemians beat Derry City 5-3 at Dalymount Park, with Ross Tierney scoring twice in an extraordinary eight-goal contest.
Shelbourne March into Cup Final
Shelbourne Women beat Cork City 6-0 at Turner’s Cross to secure their place in the Women’s FAI Cup Final.
They will face defending champions Athlone Town, who defeated Galway United 4-3 on penalties following a 1-1 draw.
European Finals for Irish Gymnasts
Rhys McClenaghan and Eamon Montgomery both finished seventh in their respective European Championship finals.
For Montgomery, reaching the floor final represented his first senior European final, another positive sign of the increasing depth within Irish gymnastics.
Junior Gymnasts Make Their Mark
There was another encouraging glimpse of Ireland’s next generation in gymnastics, with Robert Ward finishing fourth and Finlay Hazelton seventh in the vault final at the European Junior Championships in Zagreb.
Ward came tantalisingly close to a European medal, while two Irish gymnasts in the same junior European final represented another significant marker of the sport’s growing depth.
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