GYMNASTICS

Ireland’s two-time World and European pommel champion Rhys McClenaghan contests today’s Pommel Horse final at the iconic Bercy Arena intent on making further Irish Olympic history.

The 25-year-old from Newtownards has won back-to-back World and European titles in the past two years, and made history in Tokyo 2020 as the first Irish gymnast to reach an Olympic final, qualifying in joint second place.

The miniscule slip that caused McCleneghan a rare fall off the horse during that decider, means he is still chasing an Olympic medal to complete his full set, which also includes Commonwealth gold (2018).

The County Down superstar got the highest score (15.200) in qualifying with a flawless routine which has earned him fourth place in the final rotation. USA’s 2021 world champion Stephen Nedoroscik matched his qualifying score but McClenaghan was ranked higher due to his better execution score (8.9), which is very much his trademark.

Nedoroscik famously won the world title in 2021 despite breaking a bone in his hand during the final and he has already won a team bronze in Paris. Britain’s defending champion Max Whitlock (31), who was third in qualifying, is the other obvious threat.

In Tokyo 2020 Whitlock became the first man in more than 40 years to retain the Olympic pommel title and he is looking to make further history as the first artistic gymnast to win medals at four Games.

In qualifying Japan’s Takaaki Sugino (15:033), Ukraine’s Oleg Verniaiev (15.033), and Kazakstan’s Nariman Kurbanov (15:000), were the only other gymnasts to score 15 points; the barometer at this level.

McClenaghan said he will slightly raise his routine’s level of difficulty for the final. That gamble often comes at a cost to execution marks but, after the heartbreak of Tokyo, it is one the brilliant Ulster man is willing to take as he attempts to win Ireland’s sixth medal of Paris 2024.

BOXING

Just one Irish fighter remains standing in these Olympics Games, and her class, status and history is such that Kellie Harrington’s fascinating lightweight semi-final tonight is expected to rock the North Paris Arena.

Ireland’s reigning lightweight (60kg) champion has already made history by becoming the first Irish woman to win medals at two Olympic Games. She is already guaranteed bronze but has her eyes on a greater prize.

The St Mary’s Tallaght BC fighter is looking to carve her name into Olympic boxing history, outdoing even Katie Taylor by joining Britain’s Nicola Adams and America’s Claressa Shields; the only female fighters to date to retain Olympic titles.

Harrington faces a very familiar and feisty foe in Brazil’s Beatriz Soares Ferreira, the woman she defeated 5-0 in the Tokyo Olympic final. Ferreira is a two-time world champion (2019, 2023) and a 2022 world silver medallist who also won the IBF world lightweight title in her fifth professional fight in April.

Olympic boxing now includes professional fighters and the Brazilian, coincidentally, is managed by Irishman Brian Peters who has managed Katie Taylor into the pro ranks.

Harrington has looked in brilliant shape in Paris and has already secured two unanimous wins on the way to this mouth-watering re-match.

CYCLING

Ireland’s two-man team of Ben Healy and Ryan Mullen are quietly optimistic ahead of Saturday’s 272.1km Men’s Road Race which starts and finishes at The Trocadero in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower.

23-year-old Healy, fresh from his recent debut in the Tour de France, will be among the riders expected to challenge for honours as he makes his Olympic bow on a course suited to his physical characteristics.

With 2,800m of climbing and 13 categorised climbs on a course focused on the west of the city before the riders return to race on a finishing circuit at Montmartre, Ryan Mullen will dedicate himself to keeping Healy in contention for as long as possible before the race favourites begin to assert their themselves in the final two hours of racing.

The peloton of just 89 riders rolls out at 10am Irish time with the first rider home expected at approximately 4:30pm.

SWIMMING

The final morning of swimming at La Defense is a busy one, with nine of the twelve Irish swimmers in action. 800m Freestyle Olympic Champion Daniel Wiffen returns for the heats of the 1500m Freestyle; his favoured event. Wiffen is ranked number two in the heats with his World Championships gold medal winning time of 14:34.07.

Bronze medallist Mona McSharry is back in action in the 4x100m Medley Relay joined by Danielle Hill, Walshe, and Ireland’s youngest team member Grace Davison.

Hill will also compete in the heats of the 50m Freestyle earlier in the morning. Ireland’s fastest ever female swimmer who was the first Irishwoman to break 25 seconds at the Irish Open in May is entered in 24.68.

Conor Ferguson, Darragh Greene, Max McCusker and Shane Ryan will combine for the Men’s 4x100m Medley Relay. Ferguson and McCusker will be making their Olympic debuts, Greene competes in his second Games, while Shane Ryan will become the first Irish male swimmer to compete in three Olympic Games.

GOLF

In golf Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry will aim to propel themselves into medal contention when the Men’s Individual Golf Singles resumes for round three on Saturday morning.

Both Team Ireland golfers have work to do at the halfway point at Le Golf National; McIlroy currently sitting six shots adrift of leaders Xander Schauffele, Hideki Matsuyama, and Tommy Fleetwood, while Lowry is further back on level-par.

But conditions at Le Golf National – receptive greens following a storm in Paris on Thursday night – means it has been a low scoring tournament so far, leaving McIlroy feeling positive heading into the weekend as he bids to chase down the leading pack in pursuit of an Olympic medal.

“I don’t even think you need to be super aggressive, because even hitting irons and 5-woods off tees, you’re giving yourself wedges in your hands,” he said. “If you put yourself in position off the tee, you’ve got plenty of chances for birdies.”

ATHLETICS

Irish action from an athletics perspective on day eight of the Olympic Games focuses on Cathal Doyle, Luke McCann and Andrew Coscoran who will take to the track at the Stade de France in the Men’s 1500m repechage.

All three will be looking to seal one of three spots on offer in each repechage race after failing to progress to the semi-final at the first opportunity this morning. Doyle and McCann have been drawn in the first heat together, with Coscoran racing in the second.

KAYAK CROSS CANOEING

Irish canoeists Noel Hendrick, Liam Jegou and Madison Corcoran will contest their round 1 races of their respective Kayak Cross events. Kayak Cross is a relatively new and exciting event, and this is the first time that it has taken place at the Olympic Games. The heats are run with four boats going down the course together, starting from a two meter drop. It also includes a full underwater spin halfway through the course.

Tomorrow Hendrick is in Race 3 against the French gold medallist in the Kayak Single, and Senegal. Jegou goes in race 7 against Germany, Austria and Croatia. Madison Corcoran goes in race 10 of the women’s event against France, Slovenia, and Algeria.

The top two in each of the races progresses to the elimination round and the rest go into the repechage for another chance.

SAILING

In sailing after four races in the Men’s Dinghy Finn Lynch (National Yacht Club) sits 25th overall in the fleet series heading in to the 5th & 6th races tomorrow.

In the Women’s Dinghy twenty-year-old Eve McMahon (Howth Yacht Club) sits 15th overall at this point in her fleet series with three races complete and three more on the schedule for Saturday; race four was abandoned on Friday due to light winds so will be added back in tomorrow.

Both will be relishing the forecast of Mistral-type conditions on Saturday in Marseilles when winds are likely to gust to the maximum permitted range of near Gale Force; conditions which both usually have strong performances in.

SCHEDULE DAY 8 – SATURDAY 3rd AUGUST 2024

(All times are Irish times – Paris is one hour ahead)

8.55am Golf, Men’s Individual, Round 3, Shane Lowry
10.00am Cycling Road, Men’s Road Race, Ben Healy, Ryan Mullins
10.00am Swimming, Women’s 50m Freestyle heats, Danielle Hill, heat 8/10
10.30am Swimming, Men’s 1500m Freestyle heats, Daniel Wiffen, heat 3/4
10.44am Golf, Men’s Individual, Round 3, Rory McIlroy
11.05am Sailing, Women’s Dinghy, Eve McMahon Race 4, Race 5 & Race 6 thereafter
11.20am Sailing, Men’s Dinghy, Finn Lynch, Race 5, Race 6 thereafter
11.40am Swimming, Men’s 4x100m Medley relay, heat 2/2
11.52am Swimming, Women’s 4x100m Medley relay, heat 2/2
2.30pm Women’s Kayak Cross Round 1, Madison Corcoran
3.40pm Men’s Kayak Cross Round 1, Noel Hendrick, Liam Jegou
4.16pm Artistic Gymnastics, Men’s Pommel Horse FINAL, Rhys McCleneghan
5.05pm Women’s Kayak Cross Repechage, Madison Corcoran*dependant on progression
5.45pm Men’s Kayak Cross Repechage, Noel Hendrick, Liam Jegou*dependant on progression
6.15pm Athletics, Men’s 1500m, Luke McCann, Cathal Doyle, repechage – heat 1
6.26pm Athletics, Men’s 1500m, Andrew Coscoran, repechage – heat 2
7.39pm Swimming, Women’s 50m Freestyle semi-finals, Danielle Hill *dependant on progression
9.08pm Boxing, Women’s 60kg Lightweight, Kellie Harrington V Beatriz Ferreira (BRA)

 

 

Sport for Business will host its inaugural Children and Sport Conference in Dublin on Thursday, September 19th, with the support of Allianz Ireland and Sport Ireland. This is one of many events planned for the remainder of 2024.

Register your interest to attend a Sport for Business event here.

 

The Olympic Federation of Ireland and PTSB are among the 300 organisations, which include all the leading sports and sponsors, as well as commercial and state agencies, that are members of the Sport for Business community.

Find out more about joining us today.

Check out our upcoming events to discover ways of connecting in person with our membership.