Late Wednesday night saw the Champs Élysées light up with activity. Thousands of people strolled between the Grand Palais and the Eiffel Tower, not with any particular destination in mind, but simply to soak in the aura of the Olympics.
An amusing scene unfolded beside a massive warehouse selling official Olympic products. A group of young Irish individuals were buzzing with energy, playfully refusing to settle down for a picture taken by a petite woman attired in a South Korean tracksuit. Jack Woolley, the 25-year-old Taekwondo athlete from Tallaght who had recently been defeated in his competition, was amidst them, seeming like an enthusiastic participant in the Olympic revelry.
The world of professional sports is filled with precise discipline and relentless worry. Always chasing the next goal, there often exists a pressing fear of lagging behind. And then, suddenly, it is all over, leaving one in a state of uncertainty.
Woolley and his companions playfully flaunted a finger-snapping pose for the picture, mimicking the action of catching an imaginary fly. The South Korean woman, finding the act amusing, joined in and even requested another person to capture the moment while she posed with the Irish crowd. Once the photography session concluded, a round of warm hugs was exchanged. Woolley, stepping aside, basked in the joy of this spirited interaction.
The closure of the Games is on the horizon and everyone appears to be carrying out their unique version of the Champs Élysée celebration. Particularly for Team Ireland, the elation of achieving seven medals, a first-time feat in their Olympic history, has made the atmosphere more lively and the celebrations more vigorous. The achievements earned at Paris are certainly unique and historical.
Paul O’Donovan, Fintan McCarthy, Daniel Wiffen, Rhys McClenaghan, Kellie Harrington – these names will certainly be remembered for their remarkable performances at this past fortnight’s event.
For the first time, four glittering gold medals were clinched. It was also the first time awards were secured across four diverse athletic fields. Securing a gymnastics medal was unheard of. It had been over eight decades since an Olympic gold medal was successfully retained but suddenly, this remarkable feat was replicated twice within a span of four days.
Our finest Olympian in history bagged a medal for the third consecutive time at the Games. An unparalleled achievement in boxing was witnessed as our greatest Olympic pugilist recorded a tally of 2 golds out of 2 Olympics, won all 8 matches with an overwhelming combined score of 36-4 from the jury. A fresh talent emerged in swimming, hailed by many as the most distinguished Irish Olympic swimmer irrespective of what the official records might indicate.
In addition to the golds, Mona McSharry was overjoyed with her bronze medal. We also observed bronze medals attained by Wiffen as well as the rowing duo Philip Doyle and Daire Lynch, who seemed less contented with their achievements.
There were some near-misses too. Rhasidat Adeleke was at the third spot at the start of the home stretch of the 400m race but failed to maintain her position until the end. Liam Jegou was nearly crowned the champion in the canoe slalom only to miss it by a whisker, grazing the final gate with his shoulder blade. Robert Dixon and Seán Waddilove led the skiff event throughout the week but they ended up fourth due to a flawed start in the final race. Rory McIlroy closed in on the medal position with a fantastic comeback only to see his chances derailed on his approach to the 15th green.
Each one of them lauded the accomplishments of Wiffen, Harrington, McClenaghan, O’Donovan, McCarthy, McSharry, Lynch, and Doyle, in their unique ways. They unanimously proved that you cannot trick your way to an Olympic medal. You are given just one day, every four years, to perform flawlessly. A single dash down the final straight, a marginally higher leap, a perfectly-timed start, or a little extra reach – that’s what any of them needed to ascend the podium.
The Olympics are an excruciatingly intense event. The competition was tight from the get-go. It seems like ten years ago when the men’s rugby Sevens team squandered their victorious positions against New Zealand and Fiji, even before the opening ceremony had started. Ben Healy put in a courageous effort in the cycling road race, but he ran out of steam. Woolley was a mere kick and punch away from the bronze medal battle.
Despite the upbeat energy, there were also a substantial number of failures. Excluding Harrington, the boxers had another grim Olympics. Without her results, the Irish performance over the past three Olympics has been dismal: 20 boxers, 32 bouts, nine victories, and 23 losses. Regardless of how much we question the judging, only one win amongst the nine other Irish boxers in Paris is a measly performance.
They were not the only ones to fall short. The famed showjumpers, who repeatedly promised a medal, failed to materialise when it mattered most. Despite McIlroy’s last-ditch effort, the golfers were hardly noticeable. Shane Lowry admitted he was competing for pride after the second day, and both women barely made an impact. It was the first time four rowing finals featured the Irish, yet still, there was a lingering sensation of wasted chances in the end.
There’s a great deal to dissect in the world of sports, from names, scores, and possibilities to the inevitable emotion surrounding victories and defeats. Many will focus purely on the glistering glory of the four gold medals, which is wholly justified. Patrick Kielty, in his initial autumn appearance on Late Late, will undoubtedly celebrate these achievements, as rightly he should. However, to fully understand the import of this successes, one must pause and examine the panoramic perspective.
Seven medals may sound groundbreaking indeed, yet this is close to the expected performance at these particular Olympic Games. Predictably, the possibility of Ireland securing four gold medals was anticipated by many. It was only McSharry’s achievement that took onlookers by surprise – initially anticipated to reach the finals, her medal win was a delightful improbability.
Despite the inherent unpredictability in sports, a simple principle is at the heart of activities. Each nation is blessed with gifted sportspersons. Given adequate backing, a fraction of these talents will invariably triumph. Over the last decade, Ireland, a prosperous nation, has realised the inevitability of assertive investment in its sporting infrastructure to fuel Olympic success.
The previous two weeks’ outcomes are hardly unexpected. The Irish medal recipients, tendered under Sport Ireland’s top-tier financing of €40,000 – encompassing four rowers, two swimmers, a boxer and a gymnast – reflect the country’s growing support for performance sports. Alongside athlete-specific financing, Sport Ireland annually invests over €10m into high-performance sport. With scope for progress in facilities and coaching, the Irish sporting mechanism is at last primed for attracting success.
Perfect timing, indeed. If an ideal backdrop was needed for the Irish team’s Olympic success, Paris would be the city of choice. The easy accessibility for Irish spectators to the Games has made these Olympics unique. Such atmosphere, fostered by the presence of supporters, family, friends, and support staff, has significantly contributed to the athletes’ efforts. An experience that future Games held in LA or Brisbane won’t likely replicate.
Paris deviated from the norm in hosting the Olympics, whilst maintaining her unique identity. Often, host cities become undifferentiated replicas of one another due to the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) regulations binding over them. However, Paris’ charm was unfettered throughout the two-week long sporting event, creating a unique “Olympicsville”.
Preserving it’s distinct soul, the city carried an unabashed Parisian aura, choosing locations for games that showcased its rich heritage. The Eiffel Tower doubled as a venue for beach volleyball, while equestrian events happened right in front of Versailles. A football playing ground was even remodeled into a remarkable aquatic complex.
Above all, however, Paris radiated a self-assured recognition of its own stature. The Olympics was not recruited to raise the city’s importance or mark its global stance. Infact, Paris exhibited an audacious sense of importance, asserting that it was enhancing the Olympics, and not the other way round – a feat not within every city’s reach.
Finally, we board our flights home, feeling utterly spent but thrilled from the extraordinary fortnight of intense sporting activities. Each individual’s experience ends in its unique way. It could be celebrating in the midst of the closing ceremony as Tom Cruise leaps off the Stade de France roof, or joyously clicking fingers on the Champs Élysées alongside a newfound Korean companion. Therefore, it’s not just a platform for flaunting athletic skills and talent, but also a revelation of inner fears and doubts.
Perhaps it is fortunate that, barring global health crises, the Olympics occur only every four years.