Everyone in Grange, a quaint coastal village in Co Sligo, was overjoyed and probably celebrated till the early hours of Tuesday, following one neighbour’s victorious Olympic achievement. Ian O’Riordan had the privilege of witnessing Mona McSharry become only the second swimmer from Ireland to secure an Olympic medal, nearly three decades after Michelle Smith de Bruin first did so with her bronze in the 100m breaststroke. Despite admitting a shaky first half of the race, with water seeping into her goggles, she managed to triumph and realise her long-held dream. She believes that the reward for all her gruelling efforts is peak achievement in sports.
Daniel Wiffen, another ambitious Irish swimmer, is keen to emulate McSharry’s success in his 800m freestyle final tonight. The 23-year-old from Armagh, also the first Irish male to qualify for an Olympic swimming final, sounds optimistic about his prospects given the significant dates aligned with his run.
Kellie Harrington demonstrated a strong start in her quest to retain her gold medal, maintaining exquisite form and command, mirroring her performance in Tokyo three years ago.
Denis Walsh profiles the most influential Irish individual in global sports, Finbarr Kirwan, a native of Cork. After gaining experience in Irish sports as the first high-performance manager of what now is Sport Ireland two decades ago, Kirwan serves as the current Chief of Olympic Sport USA.
Other related news includes the comprehensive schedule for Irish athletes in Paris, the astronomical cost of the US Olympic gymnastic team’s kits, a cruise-related issue for athletes, an early morning anti-doping test, and Conor Purcell’s golden pass to the DP World Tour earned through victory at Galgorm. Trump Jr.’s attempt at spreading misinformation amidst condemnation of the opening ceremony was also a highlight.
Sporting personality Michael Murphy has lauded Kieran McGeeney for a “managerial masterclass” following Armagh’s success in the All-Ireland championship in Gaelic games. Kieran McGeeney’s coaching colleague, Kieran Donaghy, concurred with this sentiment in a conversation with Gordon Manning. ‘Soupy’ Campbell, one of the players from Armagh who played a part in the win, also shared the same sentiment with Gordon.
In horse racing news, Brian O’Connor reported of David Dunsdon’s unexpected victory at the Galway races on the opening day. David, an English entrepreneur, rode his own horse, Sirius, to an astounding win at 50/1 in Ireland’s “amateur Derby.” The day’s anticipation also includes Brian Duffy, a trainer from Co Meath, aiming for a repeat of his triumph from two years ago with his horse Plume Noir at the festival’s €120,000 second day feature.
For Olympic enthusiasts, there will be day-long coverage on RTÉ, the BBC and Eurosport. The day’s highlight is set to be Daniel Wiffen’s showing in the 800m freestyle final. Other notable events to watch out for include the men’s individual triathlon and the women’s artistic gymnastics final.
On Tuesday 30th July, the day will be packed with a variety of sports from rowing and hockey to boxing and equestrian. Zoe Hyde and Alison Bergin will compete in the Women’s Double Sculls semi-final, while Ireland faces India in Hockey. In boxing, Jennifer Lehane goes head-to-head with Yuan Chang in the 54Kg Round 16. In equestrian, watch out for Abigail Lyle in the Dressage Grand Prix qualifier, while Ireland competes against France in the 5th-8th playoffs in the Women’s Rugby Sevens. Furthermore, Rachel Darragh will face Jenjira Stadelmann in Women’s Singles Badminton and Michaela Corcoran will participate in Women’s C1 Canoe Slalom.
Noel Hendrick will be participating in the Men’s K1 event, starting at 3pm. Meanwhile, Daniel Wiffen will be competing in the final round of the Men’s 800m Freestyle in swimming, slated to start at 8:02 in the evening.