Olympics Day 6: All you need to know about the Irish athletes in action in Paris today

In golf, Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry will begin their Paris 2024 campaigns at Le Golf National this morning in the Men’s Individual competition.

McIlroy, who was agonisingly close to a medal in Tokyo three years ago when finishing fourth, tees off at 10.11am in a star-studded trio that will be sure to attract crowds around the course.

World number three McIlroy will play alongside the world number one right now, Scottie Scheffler (USA), as well as number-four ranked Ludvig Aberg (SWE).

Offaly’s Lowry, who finished in a share on 22nd place in Tokyo, comes to Paris in strong form having finished sixth at the British Open. Lowry tees off at 10.44am Irish time, alongside Byeong Hun An (Korea) and Nick Taylor (Canada).

In rowing, three Irish boats will feature again at the Varies-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium on Thursday with all eyes on the Men’s Double Sculls (M2x) of two time Olympian Philip Doyle and Olympic debutant Daire Lynch.

Doyle and Lynch racing from lane 3 will be up against the widely fancied Dutch double regarded as the standard bearers in the event at the moment alongside them in lane 4. The crew from the Netherlands have been undefeated since World Cup III last year and won the silver medal in Tokyo, but the Romanian double in the outside lane are the 2024 European Champions. 

Ireland have beaten the Kiwi double at World Cup II at the end of May so will be hoping to stay ahead of them as the race progresses, and again hold off the Americans as they did in qualifying. Spain, who were second to the Dutch in the other semi-final will race on the other side of the Irish pairing who posted the fastest time in the semi-final (marginally); a fascinating race awaits.

The Women’s Double (W2x) and Four (W4-) contest the B finals in their events where they’ll race for 7th to 12th places.

The Four (W4-) of Emily Hegarty, Natalie Long, Eimear Lambe and Imogen Magner are up against Australia and Denmark. Last month the Australian four raced at World Cup III, picking up a silver medal while the Danish crew finished fourth in the same event.

Alison Bergin and Zoe Hyde are up against tough crews in the B Final of the Women’s Double (W2x). In the centre lanes are Czechia and Australia. Czechia won the Final Olympic Qualification Regatta in June and Australia won gold at last month’s World Cup. It’ll also be worth keeping an eye on the USA crew who won World Cup II finishing ahead of both Ireland and Australia.

In Equestrian Team Ireland’s show jumpers begin their Paris 2024 campaign on Thursday morning at the picturesque Palace of Versailles venue with the team qualifier getting underway at 10am Irish time.

The team of Daniel Coyle with Legacy, Shane Sweetnam with the Irish-bred James Kann Cruz, and Cian O’Connor with Maurice, take to the arena with the aim of qualifying for Friday’s final. Of the 20 competing teams the top 10 progress to Friday’s team medal decider, all starting on zero penalties, and a jump-off will take place in the event of a tie to decide the medal placings.

The Irish have been in sensational form all season, winning at the Longines League of Nations and topping the standings, as well as a recent five-star Nations Cup in Aachen, Germany.

Today’s qualifier will consist of each combination jumping once over the 1.65m fences, and the teams with the lowest amount of combined penalties will jump last in Friday’s final. Ireland have been drawn ninth of the 20 nations lining up for the qualifier.

Team manager Michael Blake had also chosen his running order, with Shane Sweetnam and James Kann Cruz leading the way. Daniel Coyle and Legacy will be second into the arena, while Cian O’Connor and Maurice will anchor the side.

Action continues in the swimming pool on Thursday morning with the heats of the Men’s 50m Freestyle where Tom Fannon will make his Olympic debut. In May, at the Irish Open and Olympic trials Fannon became the first Irish man to break 22 seconds in the event recording a mark of 21.94.

After a much needed rest day, the men’s hockey team continue their Olympic campaign on Thursday lunchtime, as Mark Tumilty’s side chase their first win of the Pool stages when they go head-to-head with Argentina at 12.15pm Irish time.

Despite remaining winless from their opening three games, Ireland go into Thursday’s tie buoyed by encouraging performances against Belgium, Australia particularly, and India.

However the Irish side face another challenge at the historic Yves-du-Manoir Stadium in world number seven side Argentina, but know if they can improve their accuracy and intent in attack, they can cause Argentina problems and push for a first win of the campaign to keep their hopes of progression alive.

In canoe slalom, Olympic debutant Noel Hendrick from Kildare will be contesting the semi-final of the Men’s K1 semi-final tomorrow afternoon. They start in reverse order so the 25-year-old Hendrick will be second to go having qualified 19th of the 20 semi-finalists.

In sailing, with the fleet racing series now complete the Irish pairing of Robert Dickson (Howth Yacht Club) and Seán Waddilove (Sutton Sailing Club), stand on 73 net points, five points behind the Spaniards in first on 68 net points, and three ahead of New Zealand in third on 76 points heading into today’s top ten medal race. 

USA are on 80 points in fourth and Poland in fifth on 83 but in reality, the double-points medal race on Thursday could go to any of the top eight boats (ninth and tenth can't make podium).  

The Medal Race, which is set for 1.43pm tomorrow is over a shorter version of the course they have been racing all week, with points scored in it doubled and added to the series points to decide the medals.

In boxing, Talented Bray flyweight Daina Moorehouse will make her Olympic debut today in the last 16 of the 50kg. Moorhouse faces France’s Wassila Lkhadiri, a two-time European medallist who beat her in the quarter-finals of last year's European Games.

Sallynoggin heavyweight (92kg) Jack Marley, who made such an impressive Olympic debut last Sunday, is within one win of  a guaranteed medal. He faces Davlat Boltaev of Tajikistan in the 92kg quarter-finals; a 6’1” Asian Games champion whom he has never met before. 

Following her historic success earlier Kellie Harrington’s semi-final opponent has been determined; Soares Ferreira, the 2023 world champion, beat Netherland’s Chelsey Heijnen 5-0.

It will mean a huge re-match in the North Paris Arena on Saturday night Ferreira is the woman she beat in the Olympic final in Tokyo.

SCHEDULE - Thursday, August 1

(All times listed are Irish times)

9.30am Rowing, Women’s Double Sculls (W2x), B final, (7-12 placings), Zoe Hyde and Alison Bergin

9.54am Rowing, Women’s Four (W4-), B final (7-12 placings), Emily Hegarty, Natalie Long, Eimear Lambe, & Imogen Magner, B final

10am start Equestrian, Jumping Team Qualifier, Cian O’Connor, Daniel Coyle, Shane Sweetnam

10.10am Golf, Men’s Individual, Round 1, Rory McIlroy

10.30am Rowing, Men’s Double Sculls (M2x) FINAL, Philip Doyle and Daire Lynch

10.32am Swimming, Men’s 50m Freestyle, Tom Fannon, heat 6/10, fastest 16 go to semi-finals

11.15am Sailing, Men’s Dinghy, Finn Lynch, Race 1

11.44am Golf, Men’s Individual, Round 1, Shane Lowry

12.15pm Hockey, Men’s Pool B, Ireland v Argentina

1.20pm Sailing, Men’s Dinghy, Finn Lynch, Race 2

1.43pm Sailing, Men’s Skiff, Medal Race

2.30pm Canoe Slalom, Men’s K1 semi-final, Noel Hendrick

2.35pm Sailing, Women’s Dinghy, Eve McMahon, Race 1

4.43pm Sailing, Women’s Dinghy, Eve McMahon, Race 2

4.30pm Canoe Slalom, Men’s K1 final, Noel Hendrick *dependent on progression

7.00pm Boxing, Women’s 50kg, Last 16, Daina Moorehouse V Wassila Lkhadiri (FRA)

7.46pm Swimming, Men’s 50m Freestyle, semi-final, Tom Fannon, *dependent on progression

9.08pm Boxing, 92kg, Quarter-finals, Jack Marley V Davlat Boltaev (TJK)

Where to watch?

RTÉ 2 will provide coverage throughout the day, with a live stream available on RTÉ Player also.