In our centenary year at the Olympics this has been Team Ireland’s most successful Games ever.
We won a total of seven medals placing us 19th on the final Medal table, ahead of Brazil, Belgium, Denmark, Austria, Poland, Jamaica, Switzerland, Portugal, Greece and Mexico.
In terms of Gold medals by population we came eighth behind Dominica and St Lucia, New Zealand, Bahrain, Slovenia, the Netherlands, and Georgia, with Norway and Australia rounding out the Top 10.
There will be detailed reviews now of where we did well and where we might improve in terms of our high performance approach. This was our best ever performance but now we need to look on this as the base.
With the right investment, the right facilities, the right people and the right attitude, we can be better again in future games, allowing Others to stand on the shoulders of those that have gone before.
Our nearest neighbour Team GB won 65 medals, 14 of them Gold, in line with what they have achieved in each of the last four games. But in Atlanta in 1996 they only won a solitary gold as part of a haul of 15 medals.
Investment, the right facilities, the right programmes and the right people gave a lift across the sporting spectrum and while size will never allow us to scale those heights, we can always look to build on what was gone before and to continually improve, at this elite level of competition but also in the day to day levels of physical activity that make us healthier and happier and every now and again produce the kind of stars we have watched for the past two weeks.
For now though it is time to celebrate these high achievers from the team of 133 athletes who represented us in Paris 2024.
They won four gold across four different sports; swimmer Daniel Wiffen, gymnast Rhys McClenaghan, back-to-back Olympic champions boxer Kellie Harrington and rowers Fintan McCarthy and Paul O’Donovan.\
There were three bronze medals from swimmers Mona McSharry and Daniel Wiffen, and rowers Philip Doyle and Daire Lynch.
Aside from the medals there have been many performances of note, and ground-breaking firsts across the team including three fourth places in the women’s 4x400m relay, for Rhasidat Adeleke in the women’s 400m, and for sailors Rob Dickson and Seán Waddilove in the Men’s Skiff down in Marseilles.
Golfer Rory McIlroy in his second Olympics also came agonisingly close to the podium finishing in a tie for fifth, with rowers Mags Cremen and Aoife Casey also fifth in the final of the Lightweight Women’s Double (LW2x).
Team mates Nathan Timoney and Ross Corrigan were 6th in the Men’s pair final (M2-), as were the Men’s Rugby Sevens team. Liam Jegou was seventh in a gripping canoe slalom final, as were the women’s four in rowing, and the show jumping team at the Palace of Versailles.
Ellen Walsh returned to Tempelogue as only the third Irish female swimmer ever to make an Olympic final; finishing eighth in it. Eighth at the Olympic Games was also the place for the Women’s pair in rowing, the women’s rugby seven’s team, and heavyweight boxer Jack Marley was beaten in the last 8.
In Equestrian the eventing team were in it right up until the finish with a placing of ninth, and the ground breaking women’s pursuit team in track cycling also occupied ninth.
There were top ten finishes in cycling; for Ben Healy who gave such a tremendous effort in the road race, and only today for young rider Lara Gillespie in the women’s omnium on the track. The men’s hockey team was 10th overall, as was sailor Finn lynch in the Men’s Dinghy, the Women’s Double (W2x) in rowing, and the Mixed 4x400m relay team, with swimmer Tom Fannon occupying the same spot in the 50m Freestyle in a personal best time.
Badminton’s two-time Olympian Nhat Nguyen was second in his group beaten only by the eventual gold medallist. Bantamweight boxer Jennifer Lehane was also beaten in the last 16 by the eventual gold medallist in her division.
Additionally, Olympic debutants Sophie O’Sullivan and Cathal Doyle both ran personal bests times in the 1500m on the track.
Team Ireland fly home this morning and will be welcomed back at the official Homecoming in front of the GPO on O’Connell Street in Dublin beginning at 12.30pm, then at a host of local homecomings across the country.
Thanks to each and every one of them, their coaches and support teams, their families and their friends for allowing us to share in their hard earned glory.
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