Tokyo Games Day 7: Irish in action and best of the rest

Aidan Walsh could secure himself at least a bronze medal in the early hours of Friday

Ireland’s Aidan Walsh during his round of 16 fight at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Photo: Steve McArthur/Inpho

Thu Jul 29 2021 - 14:00

The athletics finally get underway in Tokyo on Friday with a number of Irish athletes in action. Nadia Power will take to the track first at 2.33am in her heat for the women’s 800m before Louise Shanahan (2.41am) and Síofra Cleirigh Buttner (2.49am) go in the same race. Later in the morning Thomas Barr will hope to book his place in the 400m hurdles semi-finals when he races in his heat at 3.41am while the mixed 4x400m relay team go at midday.

Kicking day seven off for Ireland will be Rory McIlroy. He opened with a two under par round of 69 on Thursday to sit six shots behind surprise leader Sepp Straka of Austria, McIlroy tees of at 12.25am while Shane Lowry (one under after the first round) gets going at 12.41am.

It’s a big morning for the boxers with one of Ireland’s main medal hopes - Kellie Harrington - finally getting into the ring after watching her teammates during the week. Harrington fights Rebecca Nicoli at 3am, a bout she is expected to win to book a place in the quarter-finals.

And then comes Aidan Walsh. After seeing off his Cameroonian opponent in the last-16 on Tuesday, the Belfast boxer now faces Merven Clair of Mauritius with a medal up for grabs. If Walsh can win he will guarantee himself at least bronze and take Ireland’s medal tally for the Games to three. He’s in the ring at 4.51am.

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After losing to the Netherlands and Germany, the Ireland women’s hockey team will be hoping to bounce back and give their hopes of a knockout spot a lift on Friday when they take on India at 3.45am.

Shortly after that the sailing gets underway. There were contrasting fortunes for the Irish on Thursday with Annalise Murphy putting in a first place and second place in her two women’s laser radial races to move up to 14th while Robert Dickson and Seán Waddillove were disqualified from Races 5 and 6 of the men’s 49er event for their harness being too heavy, dropping them down to 13th.

Both crews have work to do on Friday with Murphy going in Races 9 and 10 after which the top-10 will advance to Sunday’s medal race while Dickson and Waddilove will hope to push their way back up the leaderboard in Races 7, 8 and 9 with both starting at 4.05am.

Elsewhere, the Irish eventing team get underway with dressage at 12.30am before the second session at 9.30am while Danielle Hill swims in her 50m freestyle heat at 11.38am and Daniel Wiffen goes in his 1,500m heat at 11.48am.

What else is on?

There are a whole 21 medals up for grabs on Friday, including the first track medal of the Games in the men’s 10,000m. Mo Farah will not be there for Britain after failing to meet the qualifying time so Mark Scott and Sam Atkin run instead.

In the pool, Daiya Seto will look to win a swimming medal for the host country in the men’s 200m individual medley. Seto has been the subject of much controversy in his home country after his admission of an affair dominated media headlines. A gold medal would go a long way towards changing that image.

Medal events: 21

Archery (women’s individual), athletics (men’s 10,000m), badminton (mixed doubles), canoe slalom (men’s K1), cycling (women’s BMX racing, men’s BMX racing), fencing (men’s team epee), judo (women’s +78kg, men’s +100kg), rowing (women’s single sculls, men’s single sculls, women’s eight, men’s eight), shooting (women’s 25m pistol), swimming (women’s 200m breast, men’s 200m back, women’s 100m free, men’s 200m medley), table tennis (men’s singles), tennis (men’s doubles), trampoline (women’s final).