Sailing
McMahon Claims Sailing Bronze in California
Eve McMahon secured a superb bronze medal at the Sailing Grand Slam event in San Pedro, California, after a composed performance in the Final Series against some of the world’s best Olympic sailors. Racing took place in ideal conditions inside the bay, with 10–13 knots of breeze providing a fitting stage for the new-look Finals format. Starting the day level on points for third overall in the Women’s Dinghy (ILCA 6), McMahon rose to the occasion, finishing third in the opening Final Series race before following it up with a fourth-place finish in the final race to seal the bronze medal. McMahon finished just two points behind silver medallist Charlotte Rose of the USA, while Britain’s Hannah Snellgrove claimed gold after leading much of the regatta.
In the Men’s Dinghy (ILCA 7), Finn Lynch entered the Finals in fourth place and firmly in medal contention. However, an entanglement with two competitors at a mark in the opening final race resulted in a 10th-place finish, ending his podium hopes. Lynch recovered to finish eighth in the final race and seventh overall. While narrowly missing out on a medal, the performance underlined his credentials as a genuine podium contender heading towards LA28.
Cycling
Gillespie Secures Podium at Tour de Pologne Women
Lara Gillespie continued her strong run of form on the international road racing circuit, securing both a stage podium and an overall podium finish at the Tour de Pologne Women.
Racing for UAE Team ADQ, the Irish champion sprinted to third place on the third and final stage, a 101.3km route from Janowiec to Lublin, bringing the race to a successful conclusion.
The result also secured Gillespie third place in the final general classification, completing a prestigious overall podium behind Lorena Wiebes and Elisa Balsamo. The final standings mirrored the result of the concluding stage, with Gillespie joining two of the biggest names in women’s cycling on the podium.
Rugby 7s
Ireland Women’s Team Win Croatia Sevens Title
The Ireland Women’s Sevens team lifted silverware for just the second time in Rugby Europe Sevens Championship Series history after a dominant campaign saw them crowned Croatia 7s champions in Split.
Ireland finished the three-day tournament unbeaten, sealing the title with a 26-12 victory over Poland in the Cup Final. Their six-match winning run yielded 30 tries while conceding only four, marking a significant turnaround from their sixth-place finish at the Hamburg leg earlier this summer.
Eve Higgins was named Player of the Tournament after starring in the playmaker role throughout the competition and played a key part in Ireland’s impressive success.
Athletics
Adeleke Books European Championships Spot
Rhasidat Adeleke delivered another statement performance at the National Senior Track & Field Championships, storming to victory in the women’s 200m in a championship record time of 22.80 seconds.
The win secured her first senior outdoor national 200m title and also saw her dip below the European Championships qualifying standard of 22.85 seconds, confirming her place at Birmingham 2026.
Swimming
Irish Records Fall in the Pool
It was a historic week for Irish swimming, with Ellen Walshe and Tom Fannon both rewriting the record books.
Walshe set a new Irish Senior Record in the women’s 200m backstroke, clocking an outstanding 2:09.69. Her performance eclipsed the previous record of 2:10.75, which had stood since 2012 and was held by Irish swimming legend Melanie Nocher.
Meanwhile, Fannon delivered a sensational swim in the men’s 50m freestyle, touching the wall in 21.58 seconds to establish a new Irish Senior Record and further underline his status as Ireland’s fastest swimmer.
Rowing
Double Medal Success at World Under-23 Rowing Championships
Eighteen-year-old Sophia Young produced a remarkable display in the Women’s Single Sculls, claiming silver in her first season competing at Under-23 level. Racing fearlessly from the outset, Young stayed in touch with the highly-fancied Romanian sculler throughout before crossing the line in 7:30.96, finishing narrowly behind the eventual champion.
There was further success for the men’s double of Jack Rafferty and Jonah Kirby, who secured a deserved bronze medal. The reigning Under-19 World Champions raced with maturity and confidence against a highly experienced field before producing a blistering finish to hold off the reigning Under-23 world champions from Italy and seal a place on the podium.
Canoeing
Canoe Slalom Opens Road to LA28
The Irish Canoe Slalom team competed at the World Championships in Oklahoma, a landmark event which officially opened the ranking window for qualification towards the LA28 Olympic Games. Jake Cochrane was the best of the Irish athletes, 27th in the C1 event.
With Olympic qualification points now on offer, the championships marked an important first step on the journey to Los Angeles.
Badminton
Strong Run for Nhat Nguyen at China Open
Nhat Nguyen’s impressive week at the China Open World Tour 1000 came to an end at the quarter-final stage following a hard-fought three-game battle against world number 16 Toma Junior Popov.
Nguyen made a flying start, taking the opening game 21-12 before Popov responded to level the contest. The Irishman looked in control of the deciding game with an 11-4 lead, but Popov fought back to claim victory.
Despite the defeat, Nguyen can take plenty of positives from an encouraging tournament as attention now turns to the 2026 World Championships in New Delhi, which begin on 17 August.
Olympic Skeet
National Record for Hayman-Joyce in Olympic Skeet
Alexandra Hayman-Joyce delivered a record-breaking performance at the ISSF World Cup in Hangzhou, China.
The Irish shooter finished 14th overall and set a new Irish Women’s Skeet record during qualification, recording a score of 117 from 125 targets to establish a new national benchmark.