Daniel Wiffen, welcome to the privileged club of Olympic gold medallists. Our correspondent, Ian O’Riordan, recounts the moment Wiffen swam into the annals of Irish sports, attributing his success in the 800-meter freestyle race at the Paris La Défense Arena to a tremendous effort and unyielding commitment to victory. Wiffen’s gold puts him in a select group; he’s only the tenth Irish athlete to win an Olympic gold since Irish independence. Yet, Wiffen himself was far from shocked by his victory – he always believed he could achieve it. Referring to his win, he said, “I’m not surprised, I’ve always said it was possible, it’s satisfying to have the results.”
Mona McSharry, another swimming sensation, added to Ireland’s success at the Games, securing bronze in the 100m breaststroke earlier in the week. O’Riordan also mentions his visit to the Place de la Concorde, where he took in the BMX freestyle action which included an impressive array of tricks like the 540 bar spin, the backflip, the bike flip and the cancan. McSharry later made it through the 200m breaststroke heats and is slated for semi-finals in the evening.
In terms of rowing, it was a fruitful morning for the Irish crews, with three of the four boats advancing to the finals. The pairing of Paul O’Donovan and Fintan McCarthy especially stood out after winning their race, solidifying their standing as medal contenders. Unfortunately, Fiona Murtagh and Aifric Keogh fell short in their event.
Over at Bercy Arena, Johnny Watterson watched superstar Simone Biles lead the USA to team gold in Artistic Gymnastics, describing her performance as one of the “biggest rock’n’roll acts” of the Games.
Back in Ireland, sportswriters Seán Moran and Gordon Manning are keeping the analysis lively. Moran questions whether the All Ireland football and hurling seasons will have unexpected final outcomes, potentially resulting in more diverse championships. Meanwhile, Manning engages Galway’s football captain, Ailbhe Davoren, in a conversation about her team’s upcoming final against Kerry.
Brian O’Connor shares the latest updates from the Galway Races, featuring Joseph O’Brien’s accomplishment as Mexicali Rose triumphed in Tuesday’s feature, the Colm Quinn BMW Mile. In a stunning development, it’s the first victory for one of the most renowned racing families in the prestigious history of this contest. Brian also offers a preview of today’s activities, with Gordon Elliott having six opportunities to achieve a significant fifth Tote Galway Plate accomplishment.
TV Coverage: There’s a full day of Olympic coverage ahead of you, featuring numerous Irish athletes to support. Malachy Clerkin provides you with a daily guide including all Irish athletes’ appearance times, whilst John O’Sullivan will deliver up-to-date news throughout the day.
Irish Performance: Wednesday, July 31st
Starting from 8.20am: Nhat Nguyen lost to Viktor Axelsen (Denmark) 2-0 in the Badminton Men’s Singles final pool match.
At 9.34am: Ross Corrigan and Nathan Timoney finished third in the Men’s Rowing coxless pair semi-final and progressed to the final.
At 9.54am: Fiona Murtagh and Aifric Keogh ended up sixth in the Women’s Rowing, coxless pair semi-final and sadly didn’t qualify.
At 10.00am: Mona McSharry secured a semi-final spot after finishing third in the Swimming 200m breaststroke heats.
At 10.14am: Paul O’Donovan and Fintan McCarthy triumphed in the Men’s Rowing, lightweight double sculls semi-final and moved onto the final.
At 10.34am: Margaret Cremen and Aoife Casey grabbed third place in the Women’s Rowing, lightweight double sculls semi-final and made the final.
Starting from 1.00pm: Rachel Darragh versus Carolina Marin in the Badminton, Women’s Singles, pool match
At 1.50pm: Robert Dixon and Seán Waddilove in Sailing, Skiff, Race 10
At 2.30pm: Jude Gallagher against Carlo Paalam from the Philippines in the Men’s Boxing, 57kg round of 16
At 2.45pm: Robert Dixon and Seán Waddilove once more for Sailing, Skiff, Race 11.
At 3:37pm, we have Robert Dixon along with Seán Waddilove participating in the Sailing Skiff in Race 12. Following that at 4:54pm, Kellie Harrington will be facing off Angie Valdez from Colombia in the Women’s Boxing 60kg quarter-final. The action continues into the evening at 7:45pm with Mona McSharry hitting the waters in the 200m breaststroke semi-final for Swimming. By 8:52pm, keep your eyes on the Women’s Boxing ring as Aoife O’Rourke confronts Elzbieta Wojcik of Poland in the 75kg round of 16.