Here he comes, Ireland’s king of the pool.
Today is the day when Daniel Wiffen finds out if everything is as he dreamed it would be.
The 22-year-old from Armagh is the fastest qualifier for the 800m freestyle final, easing through his semi-final at what he described afterwards as a 95 per cent effort. If Wiffen replicates that in tonight’s final, there will be a medal. The only question is over the colour. He springs from the blocks at 8.02pm.
This morning will be dominated by two rowing crews attempting to make their Olympic final, one male, one female. First up, Zoe Hyde and Alison Bergin go in the women’s double sculls at 9.50am.
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They were only middling happy with their first day out, making a slow start and having to dig deep over the second half of the race to grab the third place that saw them into the semi-final. They had the sixth fastest time overall – they are well within their rights to expect to drive on to make the final now.
After them come Philip Doyle and Daire Lynch, the men’s double sculls pair who probably had the most eye-catching display of all the Irish crews in the heats. They posted the fastest time in their event – and that was with them easing off over the second half of the race so as not to leave all their best efforts in the early rounds. Replicate that and they will be in the final with a serious medal chance.
Mid-morning is all about Jennifer Lehane. The primary schoolteacher from Ashbourne will be in the boxing ring against Chinese opponent Chang Yuan. It’s a round of 16 match in the 54kg weight category and all known form says that Lehane will be very disappointed not to come through the test. It’s her first ever Olympic fight though so how she handles the occasion will be critical.
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Worth A Watch
Assuming she – and they – avoid disaster, today is likely to be one of the signature moments of the whole Olympics. The she in question is Simone Biles. The they in question is Team USA. The event in question is the team all-around in gymnastics, the one Biles withdrew from midway through competition at the Tokyo Olympics.
Check out the US media at these Olympics and you’ll see that somewhere in the region of 98 per cent of all stories are a version of the Biles redemption arc. Here’s where it’s all supposed to be leading. She was in spellbinding form during Sunday’s qualification rounds and looks entirely free of the mental traumas that beset her in 2021. One of the world’s greatest sportspeople at the zenith of her powers. Don’t miss it.
Irish in Action
9.50am: Zoe Hyde, Alison Bergin (Women’s Rowing Double Sculls semi-final)
10.10am: Philip Doyle, Daire Lynch (Men’s Rowin Double Sculls semi-final)
11.30am: Emily Hegarty, Natalie Long, Eimear Lambe & Imogen Magner (Women’s Four repechage)
11.36am: Jennifer Lehane (Boxing 54Kg round 16), v Yuan Chang (Chi)
12.15pm: Ireland v India, Hockey
1.38pm: Abigail Lyle (Dressage Grand Prix qualifier)
2pm: Ireland v France (5th-8th playoffs)
3.35pm: Robert Dickson and Seán Waddilove (Sailing, Men’s Skiff, Race 7)
From 4.10pm: Michaela Corcoran (Canoeing Women’s C1)
4.27pm: Robert Dickson and Seán Waddilove (Sailing, Men’s Skiff, Race 8)
From 5.10pm: Noel Hendrick (Canoeing Men’s K1)
5.19pm: Robert Dickson and Seán Waddilove (Sailing, Men’s Skiff, Race 9)
From 5.30pm: Rachel Darragh v Jenjira Stadelmann (Sui) (Badminton women’s Singles)
8.02pm: Daniel Wiffen (Men’s 800m Freestyle final)
