After day 9 of the 2024 Olympic Games, Ireland sits in 14th place in the medal table. We’re ahead of nations such as Brazil, Spain, New Zealand and Poland. Countries who combined for 76 medals in Tokyo. In just seven days we have won three gold medals, three bronze medals and guaranteed to win another gold or silver. Enjoy this quick recap of the greatest week in Irish Olympic history.
Monday 29 July
Ireland’s first medal of the 2024 Games was won by Mona McSharry in the 100m breast stroke event in swimming. The Sligo woman had been 5th at the previous two world championships but not many were predicting her to win a medal here. She finished 0.01s ahead of two rivals to win Ireland’s first medal in swimming since 1996.
Paris 2024: It's the day after Mona McSharry wrote her name into the history books by winning the first Irish medal of the 2024 games and it's a moment worth reliving time and again. #RTESport #Paris2024
📱Updates https://t.co/01ShZjM17C
📺Watch https://t.co/XnOP6grnB7 pic.twitter.com/6u2EcAxqyy— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) July 30, 2024
Other notable performances included Ellen Walshe making the 400 IM final and Daniel Wiffen doing likewise in the 800m free. It is the first Olympic Games where more than one Irish swimmer made a final. Liam Jegou finished 7th in canoe slalom and would have won a medal if he hadn’t have touched the last gate. The eventing team finished 9th.
Tuesday 30 July
Daniel Wiffen became the first Irishman to win gold in swimming when he won the 800m freestyle event. The man from Co Armagh set new Olympic and European records to finish ahead of reigning champion Bobby Finke.
'I'm not crying, you're crying'
An emotional Daniel Wiffen stands for Amhrán na bhFiann after winning Olympic gold for Ireland #RTESport #Paris2024
📱Updates https://t.co/01ShZjM17C
📺 Watch https://t.co/XnOP6grnB7 pic.twitter.com/eh9uRv6fJp— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) July 30, 2024
The Irish women’s rugby sevens side finished 8th while in rowing the men’s double sculls won their semi final.
Wednesday 31 July
Olympic champion Kellie Harrington beat Colombia’s Angie Valdes in the quarter finals of the lightweight category to guarantee her second Olympic medal and Ireland’s third in 3 days.
In rowing 3 Irish boats qualified for the A finals guaranteeing themselves top 6 finishing positions.
Thursday 1 August
Philip Doyle and Daire Lynch win a bronze medal in rowing’s Double Sculls event. It was the first ever medal for a men’s crew in the heavyweight boats.
🥉 Bronze medal for Ireland 🥉
Philip Doyle and Daire Lynch win bronze in the men's double sculls #RTESport #Paris2024
📺 Watch https://t.co/b2OI4OoWVJ
📱Updates https://t.co/FdweZoIeSi pic.twitter.com/G5oR1jTfCn— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) August 1, 2024
Tom Fannon set 2 new Irish records in the 50km freestyle event, finishing 10th overall. The showjumping team qualified for the final in 6th.
Friday 2 August
The lightweight men’s double sculls of Paul O’Donovan cruised to gold in rowing. They retain their title from Tokyo while Paul becomes the first Olympian to win a medal at 3 different Olympics. With lightweight rowing being removed from the Olympic programme, they’ll remain champions for ever.
Ireland send 5 boats to the Olympics. All 5 made top ten, 4 made finals, 2 won medals and one won glorious gold.
The sailing skiff crew of Waddilove and Dickson just missed out on a medal with a 9th place finish in the final race. A false start saw them struggle early on. The show jumping team finished 7th after being in medal contention until the last round.
'The French say they are going to take us for some baguettes and wine'
Paul O'Donovan and Fintan McCarthy look forward to the party after winning a second Olympic gold medal in a row 🥇#RTESport #Paris2024
📺 Watch https://t.co/XnOP6grnB7
📱Updates https://t.co/18WgncFAEe pic.twitter.com/1UHfApHXXf— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) August 2, 2024
Saturday 3 August
Rhys McClenaghan gave the performance of his life on pommel horse to win gold and Ireland’s first ever medal in gymnastics. The man from Newtonards was top qualifier in Tokyo before a slip crushed his medal dream there. Paris has seen him complete his redemption arc in the shiniest way possible.
Kelly Harrington won a pulsating semi final to ensure her medal won’t be bronze. Ben Healy was on the attack all day in cycling’s road race before eventually finishing 10th. In swimming the men’s and women’s medley relay teams both set national records.
SEE ALSO: Why Kellie Harrington's Gold Medal Fight Will Take Place In Unique Paris Venue
Sunday 4 August
The seven medals in seven days was completed with Daniel Wiffen winning bronze in the 1,500m. Irish swimming finished the games with an incredible 3 medals.
Rory McIlroy almost completed an amazing comeback before having to settle for joint 6th in golf.
You can pick out any time frame in Irish Olympic history to illustrate how impressive this last week has been; 6 medals in the 9 Olympic Games between 1956 and 1996. 2 gold medals between 1932 and 1996. No medals as recently as 2004. The medals have been won in 4 different sports with the most in previous games being 3. We could go on and on with statistics but you all know what you saw: Irish athletes competing with the best in the world, giving Irish sports fans great entertainment and memories we’ll never forget.
Fingers crossed we can add to the list of medal winners!
