Mona takes centre stage! A roaring applause is met with an elated Mona throwing her hands in the air. The crowd roars, “Mona! Mona!”. Ian O’Riordan brings us a live update of McSharry’s exceptional swim. [Mona McSharry clinches impressive Olympics bronze in 100m breaststrokeOpens in new window]. In the 200m freestyle challenge, Siobhan Bernadette Haughey, grandniece to former taoiseach Charlie, managed to acquire a bronze medal in a thrilling race against Mollie O’Callaghan, who ousted favourite Ariarne Titmus.
Broadcasting live from Paris, Ian O’Riordan shares “In a critical moment, Mona McSharry prevailed and claimed a spectacular bronze in the Olympic 100m breaststroke, in the presence of some of the finest specialists of the event. Since most swimming Olympic medals are determined by a hair’s breadth, won by those who reach out the quickest and desire it the most, and lost by those striving to achieve the same. Among this group, none could have wanted it more than 23-year-old McSharry hailing from a tiny coastal village of Grange in Co Sligo. Her emotional response at viewing her name in the third spot was a testament to what the moment meant to her.”
THE FINAL STANDINGS:
1. Tatjana Smith 1:05:28
2. QT Tang 1:05:54
3. Mona McSharry 1:05:59
As McSharry prepares to face her challenge…An initial sluggish phase for both McSharry and Tang, but shifting into medal contention. Trails Tang in second place, with 50 to go! The tension is high, the South African making headway. Third place to her! BRONZE FOR MCSHARRY! South Africa’s Tatjana Smith comes first, Tang is runner up and a teary McSharry secures the bronze! A race she will never forget. McSharry’s achievement secures Ireland’s first medal of the Games! Truly spectacular.
Mona McSharry is slated to compete soon, although currently Nhat Nguyen is leading 11-5 in the first set against Prince Dahal of Nepal in the badminton competition. Following the men’s 100m backstroke final, McSharry is up next. Italy’s Thomas Ceccon has prevailed over China’s Xu and America’s Murphy.
Danielle Hill shares, “Despite this being my first semi-final, I refuse to feel downbeat, even though there are elements beyond my control. I have reached the semi-finals of the Olympics and that’s something. I did feel the strain in my legs on the return journey though, which was slightly upsetting. Nevertheless, I am proud of my achievements.”
During the race, Hill fell behind on the second 50 as Smith, Masse and Wang pulled ahead. Finishing eighth in the semi-finals, she fell short of her personal record. She was slower by 0.4 than her heat score. Regan Smith won the race with a time of 57.97. Hill clocked 1.00.80; a disappointing effort.
Up next is Danielle Hill for the 100m backstroke semi-finals, with enthusiastic encouragement from her father. She’d be competing from the outside lane.
The 200m freestyle final was intensely contested, with Romania’s David Popovici taking home the gold, beating the competition by just two-hundredths of a second. Matt Richards finished a commendable second, beating America’s Luke Hobson.
Ellen Walshe shared, “I’m thrilled to make the final. It’s a privilege few have had. Although it may not have been the display I had imagined, I am quite pleased. I’d hoped for a stronger performance tonight, but my legs were not up to the challenge. I didn’t quite compete according to my own style tonight, yet finishing eighth in the Olympic Games is a substantial achievement. We’ll reassess the overall situation in the coming weeks.”
Summer McIntosh dominated the race in the freestyle category, securing the gold with a significant lead. Grimes and Weyant secured the second and third places, respectively.
Ellen Walsh ends the race at eighth position, with a time of 4:40.
McIntosh and Grimes set a pace uncatchable by the rest of the participants. With the freestyle race ahead and a lead of more than three metres, a battle for gold is underway. Walsh is currently at 7th.
Throughout the butterfly and backstroke races, Summer McIntosh maintained a significant lead over Grimes, with Walshe coming in at eighth place.
Ellen Walshe, a swimmer from Templeogue, has emerged first in the 400 metre Individual Medley pool. Despite not being a favourite for a medal, reaching the final still represents a significant accomplishment. She competed in the first lane.
Providing live updates from Paris is Johnny Watterson. He reports that Kellie Harrington, the current lightweight champion, began her stint at the Olympic Games the same way she ended her last one in Tokyo, displaying elegance and command. Unfazed by the loud applause her entrance into the North Paris Arena received, she showed no signs of jitters as she stepped into the ring for her premiere fight, eventually claiming victory in all three rounds against Alessia Mesiano from Italy. Indeed, it was the first clear-cut decision win for Ireland that week, following earlier bouts marred by divided decisions and questionable calls by the referees.
Shifting focus to equestrian, the High Performance Eventing Director of Horse Sport Ireland, Dag Albert, has commended the set of four riders who helped Agria Irish Eventing Team secure the ninth position at the Paris Olympics. He did, however, express regret over their inability to secure a higher total standing. He noted a number of sterling performances from the team, with a special accolade given to Austin O’Connor, a four-time Olympian who topped the individual rankings as the 17th best Irish athlete.
We also invite you to re-watch Liam Jegou’s race. Regarding updates for this evening, David Gorman will be providing coverage. The primary event being eagerly anticipated is Mona McSharry’s potential to earn a medal in the 100m breaststroke final set for 8.25pm.
David Gorman will also steer us through the swimming finals tonight and the Irish women’s quarter-finals in Sevens rugby.
In Canoe Slalom news, Liam Jegou encountered a minor setback with a two-second penalty imposed for hitting the very last gate. As of now, he is third, with five Slalom canoeists yet to participate. Jegou missed out on the chance to secure a silver medal due to the final gate misconduct, and expressed his thoughts on this to RTÉ.
RUGBY: Today, Ireland’s women’s Sevens squad face Australia for the second time in the quarter-final scheduled for 8.30pm Irish time, following an earlier narrow defeat of 19-14 in the pool stage.
CANOE SLALOM: The final event is in progress with Liam Jegou of Ireland set to perform seventh out of 12 participants within approximately 10 minutes.
SAILING: Robert Dickson and Seán Waddilove of Ireland have ascended to the first position following two races in the men’s Skiff category in Marseille. Despite finishing in the fourth and second position in race four and race five respectively, they lost their lead after finishing eighth in the last competition of the day, reducing them to second overall after six races.
TENNIS:Paris Olympics saw an easy victory for Novak Djokovic against Rafa Nadal with a score of 6-1, 6-4 in the second round match. This stands as the 60th, and possibly the final match between these stalwarts of tennis. Djokovic dominated 10 of the first 11 games, while Nadal struggled to match up to his past performances. Nadal, aged 38, seemed visibly worn and appeared to be hinting at retirement after playing intermittent games for the last two seasons due to persistent injuries, including one which mandated a hip surgery. However, he portrayed his resilience by levelling the score to 4-4 in the second set only to lose the following games and the match.
EVENTING: Austin O’Connor of Ireland secured the 17th position in the individual show jumping segment. Similarly, Yoshiaki Oiwa from Japan is currently engaged in individual show jumping on an Irish-bred horse named Grafton Street, forging a unique connection between Versailles and Grafton Street.
CANOEING: Liam Jegou of Ireland is set for the canoe slalom final later this evening after his successful performance in the C1 semi-final where he finished sixth, despite a two-second penalty which earned him a spot in the top 12. The final event will start in about 90 minutes.
In a striking boxing exhibition, Kellie Harrington, the Olympic champion, showed her prowess as she effectively outclassed Mesiano to progress to the quarter-finals of the boxing competition. Displaying a blend of taunts and perfect precision, the 34-year-old made the opening bout her own and succeeded in getting under the Italian’s skin. Transitioning seamlessly between orthodox and southpaw stances, Harrington lead the bout from the opening round.
In the initial round, Harrington attempted to assert her dominance with controlled jabs but fell a touch short in establishing her range. She soon found firm footing with an impeccably landed right hand causing a jolt to her opponent. Using her right hand effortlessly and her keen sense of timing, Harrington’s punches sharply penetrated the Italian’s defence. The first round saw Harrington leading 5-0.
Mesiano strived to begin the second round with a dynamic pace. Even though she might have gotten a stern talking-to between rounds, Harrington responded by lowering her guard and playfully taunting Mesiano while weaving nimble footwork. Harrington displayed finesse by exploiting openings as she continually wound up getting the better of Mesiano. She managed to maintain an edge, with all five judges favouring her, leading 20-18.
During the third round, Mesiano was forced to make advances, inviting Harrington’s swift retaliation. Harrington easily countered Mesiano’s moves, making measured strikes leaving the Italian no choice but to brave the onslaught. The difference in their skill levels was clearly evident.
Additionally, in the Sailing sector, Irish sailors Robert Dickson and Seán Waddilove shone amidst their peers in the men’s Skiff class competition in Marseille. The duo gained an impressive standing after two of the day’s three races, finishing fourth and second in fourth and fifth races respectively.
In Eventing, Austin O’Connor, competing in his fourth Olympic Games, achieved a clean round while riding Colorado Blue during the individual Show Jumping stage of the tournament.
Margaret Cremen and Aoife Casey, as part of the lightweight women’s double, seized a resounding victory in their repechage earlier today. From a smooth start, the Irish team took the leading position, successfully staying in front of their Canadian competitors. A misstep right from the onset causing a boat halting crab stroke saw the Chinese crew fall behind.
In the second half of the race, the Irish duo synced into their flow, moving with grace and speed in the water, which in turn widened the gap between them and the rest. Speaking on their awe-inspiring performance, Cremen commented, “We put up a robust show and that was exhilarating. Our aim of the day was to remain composed, stick to our strategy and we pulled it off. To stay with the group for as long as possible and to bank on our fitness to help us surge ahead was the plan, and we did precisely that.”
A huge three-length lead was established by the time the race concluded, leaving the Canadian double, last year’s World Championship fourth-place holders, far behind. Registering the quickest time in the two repechages, Cremen and Casey advance to the semi-finals tomorrow.
In the swimming arena, Irish swimmers Ellen Walshe, Daniel Wiffen and Danielle Hill had a remarkable start to the week as all three progressed from their heats at Paris La Defense. Walshe and Wiffen have now become only the third and fourth Irish swimmers to find their place in the Olympic swimming finals, with Wiffen being the inaugural male to accomplish this feat. Along with them, Mona McSharry will also be vying for a medal in tonight’s 100m Breaststroke Final, following her record-breaking qualifying swim clocked at 1:05.51.
Wiffen is set to lead tomorrow’s final after showcasing remarkable prowess in the 800m freestyle heats. The current world champion in the category swam his third finest time ever, finishing in 7:41.53 to secure his heat’s win. Ahmed Jaouadi from Tunisia closely followed Wiffen, clinching the second spot with a time of 7:42:08.
In the aftermath of the race, Wiffen exuded confidence, stating, “It’s never an easy ride. I can’t claim full strength today, but I must acknowledge the lack of my legwork in the end stretch. Nonetheless, I did maintain a good rhythm, relished the morning swim, and even clocked a rather swift time – it nearly matched my champion time in the World Champs. Overall, it’s been a satisfying run.”
The morning began with Ellen Walshe delivering a stunning performance in the 400m Individual Medley. Despite lagging at the eighth position in the Butterfly and Backstroke stints, the swimmer from Templeogue turned the tide with strong spells in Breaststroke and Freestyle, assuring her position in the finals with a timing of 4:39.97 – the fourth in her round and seven overall.
Post her fantastic swim, Walshe admitted, “I was taken aback a tad. Noticing fourth on the scoreboard, I thought it would simply be a matter of biding time. I was oblivious of the previous heats’ results, and discovering them felt like a breath of fresh air. My performance this morning wasn’t quite up to the mark. Backstroke is not my strongest suit. Observing the middle of the pack, I realised it was time to shift gears and step up. I managed to wrap up strongly and am thrilled about the finals tonight.”
Meanwhile, Danielle Hill, embarking on her second Olympic venture, is headed for the semi-finals after securing the fourth position in the 100m Backstroke heat with a timing of 1:00.40. The Larne swimmer experienced anxious moments waiting to confirm her qualification which ultimately came through in the sixteenth place.
Hill reflected on her feelings afterwards, saying, “I’m pleased with my performance – our training really paid off. I am geared up for tonight and hope to tap into my full potential. We’ve achieved our first target, up next is to refocus and see what I can bring to the table tonight.”
In the equestrian event, Team Eventing was represented by Susie Berry, Austin O’Connor, and Aoife Clark, who was a substitute for Sarah Ennis. Taking place at Versailles Palace, the final phase was show jumping. Clark, being the first to perform, had a solitary pole down. Berry, who succeeded Clark, also had four faults resulting in a 31st individual overall finish. Riding Colorado Blue, rider O’Connor knocked down two fences in his round, bringing the team to a ninth-place finish overall. Earlier in the day, Ennis’ replacement by Clark had resulted in a 20-point penalty due to Ennis’ horse developing a foot bruise after losing two shoes the previous day. O’Connor’s performance, nevertheless, qualified him for the Individual Show Jumping final among the leading 25 finishers and he will be performing fifth.
In Rugby news, Ireland produced an admirable performance. Despite some regrets over minor defensive errors, the positives dominated. Eve Higgins achieved two tries and two conversions, scoring 14 points. Exceptional performances were shown by Erin King, Béibhinn Parsons and Murphy Crowe. Ireland is expected to qualify as a top-performing third-placed team for the later quarter-finals. The final score was in Australia’s favour: Australia 19 – Ireland 14.
The 13th minute witnessed a second superb try by Higgins, which she converted, and so scored a brace. Australia’s lead over Ireland was down to 19 – 14.
Ireland nearly scored another try, however, they were again denied by a whisker. This was followed by an infringement by Australia leading to a player being sent to the sin bin. Ireland opted for a scrum five metres out.
In the 11th minute, an unfortunate turn of events saw Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe fumbling whilst attempting to score following a remarkable individual effort.
A tough blow for Ireland came as King’s brilliant run was stopped six metres before the Aussie line due to a harsh penalty infringement. The Australians quickly continued play and Maddie Levi managed to run over half the pitch to score under the posts. The converted try led to a lead for Australia of 19 – 7.
However, the first half was majorly positive for Ireland, despite some weak defence leading two costly tries. Eve Higgins managed a try and a conversion at the end of a remarkable Irish effort.
In rugby, at the 7-minute mark, Tegan Levi secured a try for Australia during the first half injury time, capitalising on Ireland’s numerous missed tackles. The half-time results stood at Australia 12, Ireland 7. At the 6-minute mark, Ireland exhibited an exceptional play, maintaining control and following a significant break from Eve Higgins, they were able to enforce a penalty close to the Australian line. Turns of events saw Higgins crash over from an inside pass by Erin King, and she converted the opportunity to tie the game at 7 each. However, within 20 seconds, Ireland gave way to a converted try by Australia’s Faith Nathan. The result was Australia 7, Ireland 0.
In an announcement concerning boxing, Ireland’s Olympic victor, Kellie Harrington’s match has been rescheduled to 2.30pm, according to Irish local time. Encouragingly, the Irish women’s Sevens team is up next. The squad is set to meet Australia, the gold medal seeds. The team had lost to Great Britain in the premiere game, and the British team have just won against South Africa following their initial loss to Australia. If Ireland doesn’t come out victorious, their only hope is to be one of the top two best third-placed teams, potentially setting up a quarter-final clash against either the Aussies once more or New Zealand.
Turning to swimming, the Irish are celebrating a historic milestone as Daniel Wiffen becomes the first Irishman to qualify for the Olympic swimming final. The swimmer from Armagh secured his place as the swiftest qualifier and will take center stage on Tuesday evening at the Paris La Défense Arena (8.02 Irish local time). It’s expected to be an exhilarating evening for Irish swimming with Ellen Walshe featuring in the 400IM final (7.30pm, Irish local time), followed by Danielle Hill appearing in the 100Back semi-final (7.57pm), and Mona McSharry participating in the 100 Breaststroke final (8.25pm). Correspondent Johnny Watterson was present at Stade Yves du Manoir witnessing Ireland’s loss to Australia at a scoreline of 2-1.
Ellen Walshe admitted that her legs felt heavy after the first 75 metres, but she persevered for the final 200 metres, qualifying for the Olympics Final – a feat she’s thrilled about after going through a long preparation process.
Meanwhile, Wiffen dominated his 800m freestyle heat, maintaining his leading position from the 500m mark up to the 650m mark, finally finishing in 7:41.53, which is the fastest time, thus securing his place in the central lane for the finals. He was also the only contender to finish under 7:42.00.
Ireland’s Danielle Hill took the 16th spot and advanced to the semi-finals in the 100 metres backstroke. In contrast, the Irish hockey team demonstrated tremendous courage but ended up losing the match against one of the top three global teams. They showed improvement from their previous 2-0 defeat to Belgium even though they conceded a penalty stroke just before the interval, recovering early enough to score a goal courtesy of Lee Cole. The match ended with Australia on top, finishing 2-1.
In another feat for Ireland, Ellen Walshe reached the 400m individual medley final. The Dublin native finished her heat in seventh place, moving from eighth to fourth in her round after a spectacular freestyle performance. She will compete in Lane 1 in the finals scheduled for 7.30pm tonight.
In the 50th minute of the match, Australia appeared to have netted another from their ninth penalty corner. However, after inspection, the goal was negated for stick-on-stick action, keeping the scores at Ireland 1 – Australia 2. Then, Mags Cremen and Aoife Casey took centre stage in women’s lightweight double rowing, winning their Repechage race and progressing to the semi-finals. They triumphed by a lengthy 20-metre distance. They will be competing in the next round alongside Canada and Argentina.
Moving into the final section of the third quarter, Australia was leading with a 2-1 advantage over Ireland. By the 37th minute, Ireland was under substantial stress, as Australia adopted an assertive pressing approach, compelling Ireland to concede numerous penalty corners. On top of this, losing one player, who received a yellow card, enforced additional pressure. Throughout the game’s course, Australia had managed to resecure the lead by nailing a penalty stroke, only a few moments before the half-time break. The third-ranked team globally capitalised on this opportunity and took possession quite effortlessly, particularly after Ireland had retreated post their goal.
In the 26th minute of the game, notable player Lee Cole scored his 33rd goal for Ireland through a slick penalty corner. As the game gradually progressed, Ireland started showing promising signs. However, despite a commendable display of aggression in the second quarter, they were lagging behind Australia with scores at 1-2 by half-time.
Earlier, in the 17th minute, the scoreline read Australia 1- Ireland 0 in the hockey match. An 11-minute setback set Ireland on the backfoot, as they faced a goal deficit against Australia in their Pool B men’s hockey duel. Scoring for Australia was done by Corey Weyer, leaving the scores at Ireland 0 – Australia 1.
The day kickstarted with a men’s Pool B hockey match at 9 am where Ireland locked horns against Australia. This was followed by the Equestrian Eventing Show-Jumping event at 9.30 am, with notable contestants Aoife Clarke, Susie Berry, and Austin O’Connor.
At 10am, the Women’s Lightweight Double Sculls (LW2x) rowing event will feature Margaret Cremen & Aoife Casey, competing in repechage 1/2. The first three repechage winners will secure a spot in the semi-finals. Following closely at 10.06am, Ellen Walshe will participate in the Women’s 400m IM swimming event (heat 2/2). At 10.19am, Danielle Hill will compete in the Women’s 100m Backstroke swimming event (heat3/5). Daniel Wiffen then joins the fray at 10.58am in the Men’s 800m Freestyle swimming event (heat 4/4).
Sailing enthusiasts can catch Robert Dickson and Seán Waddilove in the Men’s Skiff, racing at 11.05pm, 11.57pm, and 12.49pm. They will be participating in races 4 and 5. Women’s Rugby Sevens Pool B match will pit Ireland against Australia at 2.30pm, the same time as the Men’s C1 semi-final Canoe Slalom event featuring Liam Jegou.
Boxing will commence at 2.46pm with Women’s 60kg, Round of 16 seeing Kellie Harrington versus Allesia Mesiano (ITA). Harrington, the defending lightweight champion, and Mesiano, the 2022 lightweight world bronze medallist, have met before in 2021 in a match Harrington won 5-0. Women’s Rugby Sevens placing & knockout matches will start at 7pm. Ellen Walshe might participate in the Women’s 400m IM swimming finals at 7.30pm, and Danielle Hill could participate in the Women’s 100m Backstroke semifinal at 7.57pm, based on their progression.
Nhat Nguyen will be seen in action in the Badminton Men’s Singles, Group P against Prince Dehal (NEP) at 8.10pm or later. The Women’s 100m Breaststroke final at 8.25pm will see Mona McSharry swimming her best. Harrington, who previously triumphed over Mesiano in a 5-0 victory during an Ireland versus Italy international event in Belfast, is looking to repeat history in today’s fight. Mesiano comes with one Paris victory, 4-1, against a Turk in the prior round.
After a spectacular victory in his first match on Saturday, Nhat Nguyen, a two-time Olympian in Badminton, is set to compete against Prince Dehal of Nepal in their second group match tomorrow evening. The Irish women’s Sevens rugby squad will play their final Pool game against Australia, the favourites for the gold medal, at the Stade de France this afternoon at 1:30 (Irish time). Despite their loss to GB and victory against South Africa, the Irish team aspires to progress to the quarter-finals as one of the pools’ top third-positioned teams, irrespective of a loss.
Canoe Slalom’s two-time Olympian, Liam Jegou, is all set to compete in the men’s C1 semi-final at Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium. Each of the 16 participating paddlers will have one try at the 250m course, with the fastest 12 proceeding to the Olympic final. Clare’s own Jegou qualified in the 16th position and will be the first to experience the course, with a priority to achieve a commendable time when the event commences at 2:30 pm.
At the morning swimming session at La Defense, three Irish swimmers will participate. Dubliner Ellen Walshe will swim in the preliminary heats of her best event, the women’s 400m Individual Medley, where she set a new Irish record just last month, with a time of 4:37.18. Danielle Hill will compete in the heats of the women’s 100m backstroke, where she became the first Irish woman to finish under one minute last May.
The current world champion, Daniel Wiffen, will participate for the first time in these games, competing in the men’s 800m freestyle heats; he’s entered third fastest with a time of 7:39.19.
In sailing, following their hit performance in Sunday’s third race, Robert Dickson and Seán Waddilove are preparing for races four, five, and six of the men’s Skiff in Marseilles.
The Irish schedule also includes- Badminton: Nhat Nguyen v Prince Nahal (Men’s singles) from 8:10 pm.
Rowing: Margaret Cremen, Aoife Casey (Women’s lightweight double sculls repechage – top three to semi-finals) at 10 am.
Hockey: Ireland v Australia match at 9 am. (Check for the complete daily guide).
Greetings and welcome to our live updates for the third day of the Olympics. Today, Team Ireland is participating in nine distinct sports in Paris. Double world champion Daniel Wiffen starts his Olympic journey at 10am with the 800m heats, while Mona McSharry, following an outstanding performance in the previous night’s semi-final, will be playing in the 100m Breaststroke finals tonight.
The men’s hockey team kickstarts the third day, with their second group game against Australia, following their initial 2-0 loss to Belgium. The match commences at 9.00am, Irish time, and we’ll be sure to keep you updated.
In Equestrian events, the Eventing team, now consisting of Susie Berry and Austin O’Connor, with Aoife Clarke filling in for Sarah Ennis, will face their third and final challenge of the competition – show jumping at the Palace of Versailles. Currently, they are placed eighth in the overall team event.
O’Connor, with his strong performance in the cross country, is at 14th place individually. The last day will highlight the team show jumping round in the a.m., succeeded by a second round of jumping for the best 25 pairs that will declare the individual medal placements. The competitor from Cork is in close range of the top 10.
In other sports, Kellie Harrington is boxing against Alessia Mesiano of Italy in the 60kg Round of 16 at 2.46pm. Robert Dickson and Seán Waddilove will be competing in the 4th to 6th races of Men’s Skiff Sailing from 1.05pm. Women’s rugby sevens will see Ireland go against Australia at 1.30pm. Liam Jegou is competing in the Men’s C1 Canoe Slalom semi-finals and potentially the finals from 2.30pm.
The Irish women’s lightweight double rowing team, comprised of Mags Cremen and Aoife Casey, will be participating in the repechages of their category. They must secure a position among the top three to progress to the semi-final round. They’re eager to return to the water and compete once again.