Tokyo 2020 Day 1: Irish in action and best of the rest

Jack Woolley makes history in taekwondo while the women's hockey team begin

Jack Woolley is the first Irish Taekwondo Olympian. File photograph: Aleksandar Djorovic/Inpho
Jack Woolley is the first Irish Taekwondo Olympian. File photograph: Aleksandar Djorovic/Inpho

There are plenty of Team Ireland’s biggest stars in action on day one of the Tokyo Olympics.

As Ireland’s first ever Olympian in taekwondo, Jack Woolley makes history at these Games no matter what he does but the 22-year-old is a legitimate medal prospect with all rounds taking place on Saturday morning and the final at 11.15am.

The day’s other main event sees the Irish women’s hockey team play South Africa at 1.15pm, they are the first Irish women’s team to appear at an Olympic hockey tournament.

The rowing action also continues today but Sanita Puspure won't have to line out for the women's singles sculls repechage after she emerged from her heat to book a spot in the quarter-finals which take place on Monday. Philip Doyle and Ronan Byrne will compete in their men's double sculls repechage at 1.10am. Monica Dukarska and Aileen Crowley's women's pair heats is on at 1.40am.

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Then Aoife Casey and Margaret Cremen have their lightweight women's doubles sculls heats at 2.20am, while Paul O'Donovan and Fintan McCarthy get into the water for the first time in their lightweight men's doubles sculls heats at 3am.

One of Ireland’s best medal hopefuls, Rhys McClenaghan is in action in the men’s pommel gymnastics qualification at 1.56am.

The first Irish Taekwondo Olympian, Jack Woolley has his -58kg last-16 round at 2.28am. If he makes it all the way to the final it'll be at 1.45pm.

Ireland’s boxers are always some of the country’s best medal hopes and they get underway on Saturday with Kurt Walker’s men’s featherweight round of 32 bout against Jose Quiles Brotons of Spain at 4.03am.

Dan Martin, Nicholas Roche and Eddie Dunbar compete in the men's cycling road race.

What else is on?

Saturday’s biggest event is the men’s cycling road race, taking place on some of the slopes of Mount Fuji. Swimming also begins, albeit there are no finals on day one, only heats.

Medal events: 11

Archery (mixed team), cycling (men’s road race), fencing (women’s epee, men’s sabre), judo (women’s -48kg, men’s -60kg), shooting (women’s 10m air rifle, men’s 10m air pistol), taekwondo (women’s -49kg, men’s -58kg), weightlifting (women’s -49kg).

Full Irish schedule

* denotes that athletes must qualify for that stage

1.10am Philip Doyle and Ronan Byrne – Men’s Doubles Sculls Rowing Repechage

1.40am Monica Dukarska and Aileen Crowley – Women’s Pair Rowing Heats

1.56am Rhys McClenaghan – Men’s Pommel Gymnastics Qualification

2.15am Jack Woolley – Taekwondo Minus 58kg Elimination Round

2.20am Aoife Casey and Margaret Cremen – Lightweight Women’s Doubles Sculls Rowing Heats

3am Dan Martin, Nicholas Roche and Eddie Dunbar – Men’s Cycling Road Race

3am Paul O’Donovan and Fintan McCarthy – Lightweight Men’s Doubles Sculls Rowing Heats

3.30am Aifric Keogh, Eimear Lambe, Fiona Murtagh and Emily Hegarty – Women’s Fours Rowing Heats

4.03am Kurt Walker – Men’s Featherweight Boxing Round of 32

6.15am Jack Woolley – Taekwondo Minus 58kg quarter-final *

8.15am Jack Woolley – Taekwondo Minus 58kg semi-final *

9am Heike Hostein – Dressage Team & Individual Equestrian

11.15am Jack Woolley – Taekwondo Minus 58kg Final *

11.28am Ellen Walshe – Women’s 100m Butterfly Heats

12.55pm Darragh Greene – Men’s 100m Breaststroke Swimming Heats

1.15pm Ireland Women’s Hockey Team v South Africa Pool Stages

Eamon Donoghue

Eamon Donoghue

Eamon Donoghue is a former Irish Times journalist