Paul O’Donovan, known for his ability to joke in an extremely serious manner, had already decided on a surprising narrative ahead of this regatta – that of the reigning World and Olympic champions positing themselves as underdogs. Following French humour, he could hardly keep a straight face.
“Glancing at the seed list, we’re seemingly insignificant this time around,” he uttered, referencing their third seeding position behind Italy and Switzerland. “It’s a struggle to comprehend the number of competitors placed above us [two]. Perhaps this reveals my subpar counting skills, and I’ve clearly misplaced my counting tool [one, two], but the burden of pressure lies on the other competitors. Our role here is simply to have a good time, perform to the best of our abilities and, if all goes according to plan, take down some top players.”
For Ireland’s largest-ever Olympic rowing crew, the regatta held a great deal of potential. By midday on Sunday, every one of the seven vessels had hit the water, five of them reaching a semi-final. The women’s four and lightweight women’s double sculls still had a few hurdles ahead of them, but their chances appeared promising.
O’Donovan and Fintan McCarthy sailed through their heat, but the most remarkable performance of the weekend was demonstrated by Philip Doyle and Daire Lynch. They asserted their medal potential with a commanding performance in the men’s double sculls event.
The men’s pair, Ross Corrigan and Nathan Timoney, also made a commendable debut at the Olympics. The pair narrowly beat the World Champions, Switzerland, securing the last qualification spot in their heat with a finish wherein four boats were merely .43 of a second apart across the finish line.
Some crew members cited intensive training in Italy and Spain in recent weeks as a possible hindrance, and at least three crews anticipated better performance in their second races. Nonetheless, morale in the camp was high. The rowers opted for accommodations near the venue rather than braving the heavy Paris traffic commute from the athletes’ village.
None of the rowers attended the main event’s inauguration on Friday evening. Instead, they adorned their Team Ireland uniform and conducted a private parade on the hotel’s premises. O’Donovan, being asked if he took part, McCarthy simply replied, “No, he was occupied with his training.”
The inaugural weekend of competition saw athletes from Ireland experiencing a diverse range of outcomes in the Olympics. A striking exemplification of performance came from Rhys McClenaghan on Saturday evening as he successfully competed in the pommel discipline, curating the foremost coveted score which has enabled him to be the first from Ireland to participate in two Olympic gymnastic finals.
The final in Tokyo was a trying ordeal for McClenaghan who reminisced about it three years ago. He expressed cautious optimism and determination on the same Saturday evening, acknowledging his performance as solid albeit having room for improvement. He shared insights from his coach, Luke’s pep talk post performance who highlighted its calm nature. McClenaghan added that such equanimity was ideal for his comeback at the Olympics. He expressed his commitment towards continually striving for perfection and his anticipation towards scoring even better. For McClenaghan, the pressure came as nothing surprising, a familiar sensation he experiences during his regular training routines.
On the other hand, the fresh start of the Olympic Games has been challenging for Ireland’s boxing squad. Prior to Jack Marley securing victory in the previous night’s heavyweight match, edging him closer to possibly earning a medal, three boxing representatives from Ireland were already ousted, inclusive of Tokyo’s bronze medallist Aidan Walsh. His defeat was marked by a clean sweep of 4-0 against France’s Makan Traore, despite an impressive performance in the opening round.
Reacting to the score, Walsh expressed his surprise, choosing, however, to focus on his performance highlights. He acknowledged receiving a warning for his fighting style he had practiced throughout his career. Despite familiar norms, Walsh stood taken aback by the early warning, causing him to question the occurrence. Other members from the Ireland team experiencing defeat included Olympic first-timers Dean Clancy and Grainne Walsh.
In the meantime, at Stade de France, the women’s sevens team from Ireland initiated their venture with a 21-12 loss to Great Britain, trailed by a crushing 38-0 victory over South Africa in the latter part of the day. Despite leading 12-7 at halftime against Great Britain – a squad they had previously outplayed on four consecutive occasions – with two Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe touchdowns, they were unsuccessful in adding any more points in the remainder of the match.
However, the bounce-back from the Irish team was noteworthy: managing to win six touchdowns in the game against South Africa, which also featured two touchdowns from Béibhinn Parsons and another one from Murphy Crowe.
In the Skiff series, Robert Dickson and Séan Waddilove commenced on a high note, ranking second following the initial three contests.
The exceptional performance of Mona McSharry in the pool was a highlight of the weekend, creating a splendid climax. The Sligo swimmer recorded her second quickest time in the 100m breaststroke heats on the previous morning, proceeding to set a new record for Ireland in the semi-finals, and qualifying as the second-swiftest competitor.
Securing eighth place in Tokyo, there are high expectations for McSharry in tonight’s final, with strong prospects of securing a medal. The tournament has only just kicked off.