By Heather Boyle, OFI Head of Communications & Sinéad Naughton, OFI Media Liaison
Saturday 27th July 2024
Gymnastics
Ireland’s two-time world champion Rhys McClenaghan not only qualified for the pommel final but topped the qualifying with a score of 15.200 points after an impeccable routine at the Bercy Arena. Not only did McCleneghan make more history as the first Irish gymnast to reach a second Olympic final but his score, based on a degree of difficulty of 6.3 and an execution score of 8.9, ranked him top of the eight men who will contest the final next Saturday.
He finished on the same score as USA’s 2021 world champion Stephen Nedoroscik who had a marginally higher degree of difficulty (6.4) compared to McClenaghan’s 6.3.The Down athlete absolutely nailed his routine, with not even the tiniest glitch, before a perfect dismount which he acknowledged with a nod of his head and his trademark clenched fist.
Reflecting on his performance McClenaghan said: It could be better but it was solid. That was the word Luke (Carson, his coach) was using when I came off. It was calm.”
“That’s what you want to be like in that reappearance at the Olympic Games, and that’s what it did feel like, but of course, I want to be pushing more and more to that perfection that isn’t attainable but we’ll try. I can upgrade and I plan to upgrade. Hopefully we’ll be seeing that score bumped up even further. It felt so familiar out there, that pressure I have on my shoulders, because I do it every day in training.”
Britain’s defending Olympic champion Matt Whitlock was third in qualification (15.166), followed by Japan’s Takaaki Sugino (15:033), Ukraine’s Oleg Verniaiev (15.033), and Kazakstan’s Nariman Kurbanov (15:000), with Korea’s Woong Hur (14.900), and Loran de Munck (14.76).
Earlier the Jordanian gymnast Ahmad Abu Al Soud, who was a medallist at the last two World Championships, was ruled out of the final after suffering several falls during his routine, finishing on a particularly low score of 12.46.
Three years ago McClenaghan qualified in joint second place to the Olympic final in Tokyo, where he finished seventh. Topping the qualification this time means he will perform sixth of the eight finalists in a week’s time on August 3rd.
Badminton
Nhat Nguyen secured a hard fought 2-1 win over of his Israeli opponent in the opening Group P Match at the Porte de la Chapelle Arena.
Dubliner Nguyen, competing at his second Olympic Games, won the first game against Misha Zilberman 21-17. Zilberman then took the second game 21-19.The deciding game saw the 24-year-old show great composure to close out the match 21-13.
Nguyen returns to action on Monday to face 172 ranked Prince Dehal of Nepal who lost 2-0 earlier Saturday to World number 2 Viktor Den Axelson of Denmark.
Earlier in Paris Team Ireland’s Men’s Rugby Sevens finished out their Olympic campaign with a 6th place finish after a 17-7 defeat to New Zealand at the Stade de France.
Cyclist Ryan Mullen finished the time trial around the soaked city streets in 12th place; Ireland’s best ever result in and Olympic time trial.
Sligo boxer Dean Clancy was disappointed to lose his opening lightweight bout to his Jordanian opponent on a split decision.
In Canoe Slalom Clare man Liam Jegou did enough to progress to the C1 semi-final on Monday, while teammate Madison Corcoran finished 24th overall in the K1.
Finally, in Eventing Austin O’Connor on Colorado Blue had the best score (31.70) of the three Irish in his dressage test.
Tomorrow
Tomorrow the Eventing team of Sarah Ennis, Susie Berry and Austin O’Connor return to action at the Palace of Versailles in the Cross Country element of the competition.
The remaining five rowing crews yet to race (LW2x, LM2x, M2-, W2- and W4-) will all take to the water in a bid to reach the semi-finals of their respective events.
Tokyo bronze medallist Aidan Walsh is the first of three Irish fighters into the ring in the preliminaries of the welterweight division (71kg) in the morning. The Belfast man will be followed later by fellow welterweight (66kg) Grainne Walsh who faces a Hungarian opponent, also in the preliminaries. Monkstown BC’s Jack Marley will face Bereznicki of Poland in the last 16 of the heavyweight division (92kg) tomorrow evening.
Sailors Robert Dickson and Seán Waddilove, competing at the second Olympics together, are the first of the Irish team to take to the water down in Marsielles when they contest the 1st, 2nd and 3rd of the 12 races in the Skiff.
In swimming Sligo’s Mona McSharry is the sole Irish swimmer in action going in the heats of the 100m breaststroke in the morning.
The Women’s rugby sevens team will also commence their Olympic campaign in the Stade France against Great Britain; who finished fourth in Tokyo 2020, and later against South Africa.
RESULTS Sat 27th July 2024
Equestrian, Eventing – team and individual Dressage, Sarah Ennis, score of 38.00
Men’s Hockey, Pool B, Ireland 0 – 2 Belgium
Swimming, Women’s 100m Butterfly heats, Ellen Walshe 6th in 58.70, finished 22nd overall
Rowing, Men’s Double Sculls (M2x), Philip Doyle & Daire Lynch, won heat in 6:13.24, through to semi-finals
Rowing, Women’s Double Sculls (W2x), Zoe Hyde & Alison Bergin, 3rd in heat in 6:52.61, through to semi-finals
Swimming, Women’s 4x100m Freestyle, Danielle Hill, Erin Riordan, Grace Davison & Victoria Catterson, 8th in heat in 3:42.67, finished 16th overall
Equestrian, Eventing – team and individual Dressage, Susie Berry, score of 33.00
Men’s Rugby Sevens, 5th-8th placings, Ireland 17-14 USA
Canoe Slalom, Men’s C1, Liam Jegou,1st run- 102.67, 2nd run-99.93, 16th overall – qualifies for semi-final
Canoe Slalom, Women’s K1, Madison Corcoran, 1st run – 159.622nd run -115.93, 24th overall, did not progress to semi-finals
Cycling Road, Men’s time trial, Ryan Mullen, 37.57.16, 12th overall
Equestrian, Eventing – team and individual Dressage, Austin O’Connor, score of 31.70, team lying 11th overall at this stage
Boxing, Men’s 63.5kg, Prelims (Rd of 32), Dean Clancy beaten by Obanda Alkasbeh (JOR) 3-2
Men’s Rugby Sevens, 5-6 Placing Ireland 17 – 7 New Zealand
Badminton, Men’s Singles, Group P, Nhat Nguyen BEATS Zilberman (ISR) 21-17, 19-21, 21-13
Gymnastics, Men’s Pommel qualification, Rhys McClenaghan, 15.200, qualifies for final on 3rd Aug
SCHEDULE Sunday 28th July 2024
(All times listed are Irish times – Paris is one hour ahead)
9.40am Rowing, Women’s Pair (W2-), Fiona Murtagh & Aifric Keogh (heat2/3)
10am Rowing, Men’s Pair (M2-), Ross Corrigan & Nathan Timoney (heat 3/3)
10.30am Rowing, Women’s Lightweight Double Sculls (LW2x), Margaret Cremen & Aoife Casey (heat1/3)
10.32am Boxing, Men’s 71kg, Prelims (Rd of 32), Aidan Walsh V Traore (FRA)
10.39am Swimming, Women’s 100m Breaststroke, Mona McSharry (heat 5/5)
10.42am Equestrian – Eventing Cross Country – team and individual, Sarah Ennis
11.20am Rowing, Men’s Lightweight Double Sculls (LM2x), Paul O’Donovan & Fintan McCarthy (heat 3/3)
11.40am Rowing, Women’s Four (W4-), Emily Hegarty, Natalie Long, Eimear Lambe & Imogen Magner (heat 2/2)
12.15pm Sailing, Men’s Skiff, race 1, Robert Dickson and Seán Waddilove
12.18pm Equestrian – Eventing Cross Country – team and individual, Susie Berry
12.54pm Equestrian – Eventing Cross Country – team and individual, Austin O’Connor
1.07pm Sailing, Men’s Skiff, race 2, Robert Dickson and Seán Waddilove
1.59pm Sailing, Men’s Skiff, race 3, Robert Dickson and Seán Waddilove
2.30pm Women’s Rugby Sevens, Pool B, Ireland V Great Britain
4.22pm Boxing, Women’s 66kg, Grainne Walsh V Anna Luca Hamori (HUN)
6pm Women’s Rugby Sevens, Pool B, Ireland v South Africa
7.16pm Boxing, Men’s 92kg, Prelims (Rd of 32), Jack Marley V Mateusz Bereznicki (POL)
8.10pm Women’s 100m Breaststroke semi-finals, Mona McSharry *Dependant on progression