Tokyo Games Day 9: Irish in action and best of the rest

McIlroy and Lowry firmly in the golfing mix; Walsh forced to withdraw due to to injury

Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry are both in contention heading into the final round at the Olympics. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho

Sat Jul 31 2021 - 13:06

Sunday could prove one to remember for Team Ireland, with one bronze medal guaranteed and the real potential for others to follow.

It's a quiet day for the Irish on the track, with Michelle Finn and Eilish Flanagan the early competitors in the Olympic Stadium.

The duo both line up in the heats of the women’s 3,000m steeplechase - Finn is up first at 1.40am, with Flanagan in the third and final heat at 2.10am.

If either progress, they will be setting off in the final at 12pm.

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The men’s golf competition has proven absorbing so far, and we are in for a grandstand finish on Sunday.

America’s Xander Schauffele currently leads home favourite and US Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama by a stroke on 14 under par heading into the fourth round - the leaders, and Britain’s Paul Casey, will tee off at 3.09am.

Rory McIlroy remains firmly in the medal hunt - he's three strokes back on 11 under - and he tees off in the penultimate group at 2.58am alongside Carlos Ortiz and Sebastian Munoz.

Shane Lowry meanwhile is four off the lead - he gets his final round underway at 2.36am, and plays with Australia's Cameron Smith and Mexico's Abraham Ancer.

Later in the day comes another big medal chance as Kurt Walker takes on America's Duke Ragan in the featherweight quarter-finals (3.30am) - victory would mean a semi-final berth and a guaranteed bronze.

Aidan Walsh has had to settle for a bronze medal after the ankle injury he picked up while celebrating his welterweight quarter-final win over Merven Clair of Mauritius forced the Belfast fighter to withdraw from his semi-final against Britain's Pat McCormack.

Away from the ring and to the pommel horse, where Rhys McClenaghan is one of eight competing in Sunday morning's final.

The 22-year-old has been one of Ireland’s star athletes away from the pitch and will be hoping to cap his Games off with a medal.

And the final Irish athlete in action on Sunday wil be Thomas Barr - he lines up in the opening 400m hurdle semi-final at 1.05pm.

To catch up on how the Irish athletes fared on Saturday, click HERE.

What else is on?

One of the biggest events of the Games takes place on Sunday night - the men’s 100m final. And for the first time since Athens in 2004 there will be no Usain Bolt on the startline, meaning we will have a new gold medallist.

Among the day’s other highlights is the men’s tennis gold medal match between Alexander Zverev and Karen Khachanov, while Britain are looking to pick up yet another medal in the pool with Adam Peaty and Duncan Scott expected to return for the 4x100m medley relay (3.30am).

Medal events

25 - Artistic gymnastics (men's floor, women's vault, men's pommel horse, women's uneven bars), athletics (women's shot put, men's high jump, women's triple jump, men's 100m), badminton (women's singles), cycling (women's BMX freestyle, men's BMX freestyle), diving (women's 3m springboard), fencing (men's team foil), golf (men), sailing (laser radial women, laser men), swimming (men's 50m free, women's 50m free, men's 1500m free, women's 4x100m medley relay, men's 4x100m medley relay), tennis (men's singles, women's doubles, mixed doubles), weightlifting (women's 76kg).