A significant number of the 133 Team Ireland athletes, and many of the coaches and support staff are en route to what is set to be a spectacular Closing Ceremony to Paris 2024 at the iconic Stade de France. Some of the team that departed for home earlier in the Games have even flown back in to Paris to be a part of the finale.
Some of those that will be attending include golfer Leona Maguire, sailors Rob Dickson and Seán Waddilove, rowers Philip Doyle and Daire Lynch, athletes Nicola Tuthill, Sharlene Mawdsley, and Sarah Lavin, gymnast Rhys McClenaghan, diver Ciara McGing, canoeist Noel Hendrick, and boxing siblings Aidan and Michaela Walsh.
Back-to-back Olympic champion Fintan McCarthy will now join Mona McSharry in carrying the tricolour and leading the Irish delegation into the stadium as Daniel Wiffen has stepped back with mild illness.
In our centenary year at the Olympics this has been Team Ireland’s most successful Games ever winning seven medals; four gold across four different sports; swimmer Daniel Wiffen, gymnast Rhys McClenaghan, back-to-back Olympic champions boxer Kellie Harrington and rowers Fintan McCarthy and Paul O’Donovan, and three bronze medals from swimmers Mona McSharry and Daniel Wiffen, and rowers Philip Doyle and Daire Lynch.
Aside from the medals there have been many performances of note, and ground-breaking firsts across the team including three fourth places, often considered the toughest place of all to finish; most recently in the women’s 4x400m relay, for Rhasidat Adeleke in the women’s 400m, and for sailors Rob Dickson and Seán Waddilove in the Men’s Skiff down in Marseilles.
Golfer Rory McIlroy in his second Olympics also came agonisingly close to the podium finishing in a tie for fifth, with rowers Mags Cremen and Aoife Casey also fifth in the final of the Lightweight Women’s Double (LW2x). Team mates Nathan Timoney and Ross Corrigan were 6th in the Men’s pair final (M2-), as were the Men’s Rugby Sevens team. Liam Jegou was seventh in a gripping canoe slalom final, as were the women’s four in rowing, and the show jumping team at the Palace of Versailles.
Ellen Walsh returned to Tempelogue as only the third Irish female swimmer ever to make an Olympic final; finishing eighth in it. Eighth at the Olympic Games was also the place for the Women’s pair in rowing, the women’s rugby seven’s team, and heavyweight boxer Jack Marley was beaten in the last 8.
In Equestrian the eventing team were in it right up until the finish with a placing of ninth, and the ground breaking women’s pursuit team in track cycling also occupied ninth.
There were top ten finishes in cycling; for Ben Healy who gave such a tremendous effort in the road race, and only today for young rider Lara Gillespie in the women’s omnium on the track. The men’s hockey team was 10th overall, as was sailor Finn lynch in the Men’s Dinghy, the Women’s Double (W2x) in rowing, and the Mixed 4x400m relay team, with swimmer Tom Fannon occupying the same spot in the 50m Freestyle in a personal best time.
Badminton’s two-time Olympian Nhat Nguyen was second in his group beaten only by the eventual gold medallist. Bantamweight boxer Jennifer Lehane was also beaten in the last 16 by the eventual gold medallist in her division. Additionally, Olympic debutants Sophie O’Sullivan and Cathal Doyle both ran personal bests times in the 1500m on the track.
Team Ireland will fly home tomorrow morning (Monday) and look forward to being welcomed back at the official Homecoming in front of the GPO on O’Connell Street in Dublin beginning at 12.30pm.