Olympics Day 7: Your guide to watching a busy day for Irish athletes in action in Paris

It's set to be another busy day in Paris for Irish athletes chasing Olympic glory. 

In rowing, on the last day racing for the Irish rowers, it’s set to be an exciting one with three crews in finals bidding for glory.

The Men’s Pair (M2-) of Nathan Timoney and Ross Corrigan, the Women’s Lightweight Double (LW2x) of Aoife Casey and Margaret Cremen, the Men’s Lightweight Double (LW2x) of Fintan McCarthy and Paul O’Donovan.The Women’s Pair (W2-) of Aifric Keogh and Fiona Murtagh will race the B final of their event for the 7-12 placings at these Games.

The Men’s Pair (M2-) of Timoney and Corrigan, will start in lane six on the course, facing Spain, Switzerland, Croatia, Romania and Great Britain. The current World Champions Switzerland have been on the podium four times this season but have yet to beat the GB crew who have been dominating this season in the Men’s Pair, picking up three gold medals, two at the World Cups and one at the European Championships. Timoney and Corrigan beat the Swiss duo in the heat over a photo finish and finished just half a second behind GB in the semi-final.

Paul O’Donovan and Fintan McCarthy are ready to defend their Olympic title in the Lightweight Double (LM2x). After suffering defeat in May to the Swiss and Italian doubles, the Irish crew are looking to place themselves back on top of the podium. The Skibbereen rowers have showed dominant performances in both their heat and semi-final, beating the Swiss crew on Thursday, but are yet to face the Italian double. Italy, like Ireland, have won both their heat and semi-final, so are definitely one of the top contenders for the podium. 

Margaret Cremen and Aoife Casey have performed incredibly through the week to make it to the final of the Lightweight Women’s Double (LW2x). Having finished eighth at the last Olympics, Cremen and Casey have already improved their result this time around by making the final. The double that everyone is watching is the GB crew who have been undefeated since July 2022. They finished fourth in Tokyo, but from their next appearance together, they haven’t let a single crew get the better of them.

Irish athletics involvement at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games gets underway this morning on the newly laid purple track at the Stade de France. First into action will be Team Ireland’s three 1500m men; Cathal Doyle, Luke McCann, and Andrew Coscoran. Doyle (Clonliffe Harriers AC) and McCann (UCD AC) will make their Olympic debuts while Coscoran (Star of the Sea AC) has proven pedigree at this level having made the semi-final of the event in Tokyo three years ago. 

The first six athletes in each of the three heats will advance to the semi-finals with all remaining athletes entering the repechage round; the first time ever this format occurs in athletics.

In the evening session, Jodie McCann (Dublin City Harriers) will also make her Olympic debut having qualified for the Women’s 5000m. The younger sister of Luke, McCann will need to finish in the top eight to book her place in the final.

All eyes will then turn to the Mixed 4x400m Relay heats. The Irish team, which will not be announced in advance of final declarations in line with other nations, bids to make a second successive Olympic final in the event. The top three in the heats automatically advance to the final, followed thereafter by the two fastest times.

Eric Favors closes out the athletics action from an Irish perspective when he makes his Games debut in the Men’s Shot Put. Favors will need to throw 21.35m to advance automatically to the final, if not he will be relying on placing within the top twelve from the two qualification groups.

In sailing the Medal Race of the Men’s Skiff, which had to be abandoned on two separate occasions yesterday, has been rescheduled for 12.13pm Irish time today, when it is hoped wind conditions will be more favourable for racing. 

Robert Dickson and Seán Waddilove win start that medal race in second position overall, with the Spanish crew leading and New Zealand only two points behind in third. The points from the medal race are doubled and added to the fleet series score to determine podium positions so any of the top seven or eight crews can make the medals.

Lying 16th overall after the opening two races in the Men’s Dinghy, Finn Lynch contests races 3 and four. Twenty-eight-year-old from Carlow, Lynch is competing in his second Olympics after debuting in Rio but missing out on the subsequent Games in Tokyo. 

After posting an 8th in her first Olympic race yesterday, Eve McMahon will have three races on the cards tomorrow in the Women’s Dinghy Fleet Series with race 2 – rescheduled from Thursday run off, before races 3 and 4 afterwards.

In golf, Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry return to the course at Le Golf National in their second rounds of the Men’s Individual competition. Offaly’s Lowry will be first out at 8.44am Irish time and will be hoping to improve on his opening round of 71 to move up the standings. Rory McIlroy is out at 11.06am Irish time alongside Scottie Scheffler (USA) and Ludvig Aberg (SWE).

In canoe slalom, Noel Hendrick and Liam Jegou will be back on the water today in Kayak Cross, which is a new Olympic event in Paris. 

The Irish Men's hockey team will play their final game of these Games today against New Zealand hoping to record a win at Yves du Manoir Stadium. After yesterday’s defeat to Argentina they cannot progress from their group but will be hopeful of ending on a positive note against the side one place above them in the world rankings, in 10th.

In equestrian, Ireland’s show jumpers remain on course for a strong showing in the Team final. Twenty teams have been whittled down to 10, with Switzerland and Brazil the major casualties from round one.

Michael Blake’s team of Shane Sweetnam, Daniel Coyle and Cian O’Connor had plenty in hand to reach the big dance in sixth position, with Coyle and Legacy particularly impressive, jumping a superb clear round.

With a difficult course build in the final, it remains to be seen what the course designers have in store today but, with world number nine Sweetnam and number 11 Coyle teaming up with the ever-reliable O’Connor, hopes are high for the Irish at the Palace of Versailles.

In boxing the last of Ireland’s boxers; featherweight Michaela Walsh, finally makes her entrance in Paris today (2:46pm Irish time) in her second Olympic Games. Belfast’s two-time European bronze medallist faces Bulgaria’s Svetlana Kamenova Staneva, a world bronze medallist in 2023, in the last 16 of the 57kg.

In swimming, 400m Individual Medley Finalist at these Games Ellen Walshe returns to the pool on Friday for the heats of the 200m Individual Medley. Walshe is the Irish record holder in the event in 2:10.92, a time she set in the semi-final of the 2023 World Championships.

SCHEDULE - Friday, August 2

(All times listed are Irish times)

9.54am Rowing, Women’s Pair (W2-), B final (7-12 placings), Aifric Keogh and Fiona Murtagh

10.10am Athletics, Men’s 1500m, Heat 1, Round 1, Cathal Doyle (first 6 in each heat to s/f, rest to repechage)

10.21am Athletics, Men’s 1500m, Heat 2, Round 1, Luke McCann (first 6 in each heat to s/f, rest to repechage)

10.11am Golf, Men’s Individual, Round 2, Rory McIlroy

10.30am Rowing, Men’s Pair (M2-), FINAL, Ross Corrigan, Nathan Timoney

10.32am Athletics, Men’s 1500m, Heat 3, Round 1, Andrew Coscoran (first 6 in each heat to s/f, rest to repechage)

10.35am Swimming, Women’s 200m IM, heats, Ellen Walshe, heat 5/5 (16 fastest to s/f)

11.02am Rowing, Men’s Lightweight Double Sculls (LW2x), FINAL, Paul O’Donovan, Fintan McCarthy

10.05am Sailing, Women’s Dinghy, Race 2 – rescheduled, Eve McMahon

11.15am Sailing, Women’s Dinghy, Race 3, Eve Mc Mahon

11.22am Rowing, Women’s Lightweight Double Sculls (LW2x) FINAL, Aoife Casey, Margaret Cremen

11.44am Golf, Men’s Individual, Round 2, Shane Lowry

12.13pm Sailing, Men’s Skiff, RESCHEDULED MEDAL RACE

12.23pm Sailing, Women’s Dinghy, Race 4, Eve Mc Mahon

1.00pm Equestrian, Show Jumping, Team FINAL, Shane Sweetnam, Cian O’Connor, Daniel Coyle

2.30pm Men’s Kayak Cross Time Trial, Noel Hendrick, Liam Jegou

2.35pm Sailing, Men’s Dinghy, Race 3, Finn Lynch

2.46pm Boxing, Women’s Featherweight (57kg), Last 16, Michaela Walsh V Svetlana Kamenova Staneva (BUL)

3.40pm Women’s Kayak Cross Time Trial, Madison Corcoran

3.45pm Sailing, Men’s Dinghy, Race 4, Finn Lynch

4.00pm Hockey, Men’s Pool B, Ireland v New Zealand

5.36pm Athletics, Women’s 5000m, Round 1, Heat 2/2, Jodie McCann (first 8 in each heat to final)

6.22pm Athletics, 4x400m Mixed Relay, heat 2/2, (first 3 in each heat Q, and next two fastest q advance to final)

7.10pm Athletics, Shot Put, Qualification Group A, Eric Favors (standard 21.35m, all that meet standard, or at least 12 best to final)

8.22pm Swimming, Women’s 200m IM semi-final, Ellen Walshe, *dependant on progression

Where to watch?

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