Tokyo Games Day 3: Irish in action and best of the rest

On Monday the Irish hockey team are back in action while Rugby Sevens gets underway

Ireland players celebrate after Roisín Upton scores a goal during their win over South Africa at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Photo: Morgan Treacy/Inpho

Sun Jul 25 2021 - 13:30

Monday is another busy day for Irish athletes in Tokyo although the rowing has all been lost to bad weather with Tuesday also written off. After their 2-0 win over South Africa on Saturday, the women’s hockey team face a seriously tough task when they meet the Netherlands at 2am, three years after losing to the same opponents in the World Cup final.

For the first time ever Ireland will play Rugby Sevens at the Olympics and they could well fancy their chances of a medal at the Games after an impressive qualification tournament in Monaco. They get underway against South Africa at 3am before facing the USA in their second pool match later in the morning at 10.30am.

Liam Jegou left himself under pressure after his first run in the men’s C1 canoe slalom on Sunday but he recovered the second time around to seal a semi-final spot which begins at 6am. This time each canoeist will only have one run so the pressure is on. If he is to reach the final that will begin at 7.45am.

Boxer Michaela Walsh received a bye into the last 16 of the women’s featherweight division and she will face Irma Testa at 6.27am while Brendan Irvine begins his campaign at 4.03am in the men’s flyweight division against Carlo Paalam of the Philippines.

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For the first time so far in this Games, an Irish swimmer has reached a semi-final and that will be Mona McSharry in the women’s 100m breaststroke at 2.50am. McSharry was marginally outside her Irish record in her heat on Sunday and will hope to break that if she is to reach the final.

At 11.20am Nhat Nguyen will get his men's singles badminton campaign underway against Niluka Karunaratne of Sri Lanka in Group F.

Later on in the morning, Brendan Hyland goes in the men’s 200m butterfly heats at 11.29am while Ellen Walshe is in the women’s 200m individual medley heats at 11.56am.

Meanwhile, at 10.30pm, Carolyn Hayes gets underway in the women’s triathlon.

For a full round-up of how all of the Irish fared on Sunday, you can read our Day 2 Irish round-up here.

What else is on?

Britain’s Adam Peaty has utterly dominated the men’s 100m breaststroke since winning gold in Rio in 2016, setting a number of world records along the way. At 3.12am he will look to cement his status as the best around before American star Katie Ledecky attempts to do the same in the women’s 400m freestyle final at 3.20am although Australia’s Ariarne Titmus is expected to push her all the way.

Adam Peaty goes for gold again on Monday. Photo: Al Bello/Getty Images

Also in the pool, keep an eye out for Hong Kong’s Siobhán Haughey. The name comes from her Irish father and she is considered to be a good medal prospect. She gets going in the women’s 200m freestyle heats at 11.09am.

Tom Daley has been an Olympic star forever now it seems and he begins his fourth Olympic Games for Britain - 13 years after his debut aged 14 - alongside Matty Lee in the men’s 10m synchro event at 7am.

Medal events: 21

Archery (men’s team), artistic gymnastics (men’s team), canoe slalom (men’s C1), cycling (men’s cross-country mountain bike), diving (men’s 10m synchro), fencing (women’s sabre, men’s foil), judo (women’s -57kg, men’s -73kg), shooting (women’s skeet, men’s skeet), skateboarding (women’s street), swimming (women’s 100m fly, men’s 100m breast, women’s 400m free, men’s 4x100m free relay), table tennis (mixed doubles), taekwondo (women’s -67kg, men’s -80kg), triathlon (men), weightlifting (women’s 55kg).