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McIlroy And Lowry React To Olympic Golf R2 Climb

Team Ireland golfers Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry have soared into medal contention after posting fantastic scores in round two.

Now at the halfway stage, McIlroy and Lowry’s rounds of 66 and 65 respectively have seen them move up the leaderboard after an unspectacular first day.

Overnight, the pair sat in tied 31st and tied 20th place respectively and were determined to make a move towards the medal positions.

The Team Ireland duo are currently tied for 7th and right into the mix heading into the weekend with some play from round two still to finish tomorrow after a weather stoppage.

“It felt good, it didn’t feel much different to yesterday,” said McIlroy, who opened with a round of 69.

“I felt like I played well yesterday, I just didn’t score as good as I could have and I think that’s why I came off the course maybe not as disappointed as I would have been because I knew that the good golf was in there and it was nice to see some of that good golf today.”

Ranked 13th in the Official World Golf Rankings, McIlroy drove the green on the 294-yard par 4 6th, before sending his eagle attempt 15 feet by.

Holing the return effort, it was the start of a nice run that saw him make the turn on 6-under par.

“It was a momentum starter, I three-putted that green yesterday so I was sort of thinking of that as well,” he laughed.

“It was nice to hole that one coming back and it certainly gave me some momentum going to the 7th, that tee shot there was good and the eagle on the 8th was great. There are a few holes here that the length off the tee is an advantage and that is one of them.”

Play resumed at 6.20 am after a second weather stoppage of the tournament at 3:57 am, and neither McIlroy’s nor Lowry’s momentum was dampened as they both carded birdies on the restart.

“Golf’s a funny game,” Lowry reflected afterwards.

“I started off lovely and just sort of had that momentum for the whole day then. Especially when I came out after the delay. I holed a lovely putt on 13, an eight or nine-footer, and then from there, I just played lovely for the rest of the day.

“I actually missed a short one on 17, which would have been nice to hole, but I’m happy with my score and very happy that I have a chance to do something special over the weekend.”

Xander Schauffele (USA) set the pace on 11-under with Mexico’s Carlos Ortiz, Chile’s Mito Periera, Alex Noren of Sweden and Austria’s Sepp Straka also within touching distance of those elusive medal positions.

The two Irish golfers are also close to Schauffele and the pack leaders and will look to close down that gap over the next two rounds.

Lowry wants to keep the momentum going and climb up that leaderboard again.

“Same thing, stay patient and try and make as many birdies as I can. The worst thing you can do is go out there and be really aggressive and make silly mistakes because at the end of the day, we’re only playing for 1st, 2nd and 3rd this week and that’s what it’s all about.

 

“I just want to get off to a good start tomorrow, shoot a good score and get in the mix for Sunday. That’s what I’ve been wanting since The Open has finished. My full mindset has been just about putting my head down and trying to get myself into contention on Sunday of the Olympics – that even seems weird to say that! Hopefully that happens.”

 

Play was suspended for a second time at 09.30 am, and will not be resumed this evening, so the Irish pairing will have to wait until tomorrow morning for the third round draw.

Olympic Athletics: Irish 4x400m mixed make final in hectic race

Team Ireland had eight athlete’s competing in Day One of the athletics in Tokyo 2020, as well as being part of the first ever 4x400m mixed relay

4 x 400m Relay Round 1 – Sophie Becker, Cillin Greene, Phil Greene, Christopher O’Donnell

The Irish lined up in lane four with decent starting time, the fourth best in the race. The main teams to look out for were the Dominican Republic, Nigeria and the world’s fastest, Team USA.

Greene lined up first for Ireland and ran a very decent race, running a personal best for himself, with the team completing the handover first.

Healy went second for Ireland starting at the top which she held for 200m until the lanes merged. By the next baton handover the top four teams were basically level.

Becker ran next, in which the Nigerian team attempted a different strategy. They used their second male athlete next to give their female a major head start going into the last 400m. Ireland finish the lap in fifth.

O’Donnell was in charge of Ireland’s final run in which he brought blistering pace, overtaking Nigeria with 50m left and holding off an ascending Germany.

Ireland finished the race in fourth, just outside the automatic qualification places, USA first, Dominican Republic second and Belgium third.

But, this is where the race got even more hectic.

Firstly, the world record holding United States team was disqualified. One of their athletes was judged to have started their run outside of the designated area for collecting the baton. This is known as rule TR 24.19, now Ireland sat in third.

Five minutes later and the Dominican Republic were also disqualified. In a more technical rule called TR 24.20, their final runner was seen to illegally change their position in the baton changeover area.

Ireland would have been fast enough to qualify for the final anyway with a time of 3:12.88 but now with these disqualifications, they were second in their heat.

They will now join Belgium, Poland, the Netherlands, Jamaica, Great Britain, Germany and Spain in the final.

The other heat was very fast so they do enter the final as the sixth fastest team. It was a very impressive feat to make the first ever Olympic 4x400m mixed final but hopefully they can find even more energy to leave a mark on the final.

Other Athletic Results for Day One

Women’s 800m heats

Nadia Power – Heat 2 – 2:03.74 – 7th

Louise Shanahan – Heat 3 – 2:03.57 – 7th

Siofra Cleirigh Buttner – Heat 4 – 2:04.62 – 7th

Men’s 400m Hurdles heats

Thomas Barr – Heat 3 – 49.02 – 2nd (Qualified)

Davy Fitzgerald Leaves Wexford

Davy Fitzgerald has stepped down as Wexford Senior Hurling manager after five years.

The news of Fitzgerald’s departure was announced by Wexford GAA in the early hours of Friday morning.

Fitzgerald said;

“I have informed the County Board that I will not be in a position to continue in my role as Bainisteoir of the Wexford Senior Hurling team.

“The main reason for this is down to the six-hour round trip from my home in Sixmilebridge, which I have done for the last five years.

“I have never felt closer or happier with any team in all my years coaching and I thoroughly enjoyed every second of my five years in Wexford.

“It has been an absolute privilege and an honour to have worked with every one of the players during my time in Wexford.”

“There were ups and downs, highs and lows, as is the nature of the sport, all of which was experienced with a sense of collective pride and enjoyment.

“To the players, county board, clubs and people of Wexford, I wish to thank each and every one of you for playing no small part in every enjoyable second of the journey.

“From the first meeting in Gorey in October 2016 to last Saturday week in Thurles, you have all made me feel so welcome, supported and proud to be involved with Wexford.

“On behalf of myself and my backroom team I wish to thank everyone associated with Wexford GAA for everything over the last five years and I wish you all the very best for the future. Le Croí agus Lámh, Davy.”

Davy Fitzgerald’s time as Wexford manager has been a successful one.

Gaining promotion to Division 1A of the National Hurling League, before winning Wexford’s first Leinster Hurling Championship title since 2004 with a 3-point victory over Kilkenny in Croke Park.

In the 2021 Championship season, Wexford was defeated by Clare in the All-Ireland hurling qualifiers, with Fitzgerald indicating that his time in charge was coming to an end, admitting that the past year in charge of Wexford was ”the toughest” he had experienced in GAA

Wexford’s Response

With Wexford GAA chairman Mícheál Martin stating;

“We wish to sincerely thank Davy and his backroom team for the manner in which they have carried out their duties over their stewardship.
Davy’s arrival in 2017 resulted in immediate promotion to Division One of the National Hurling League and a first Leinster Final appearance since 2008.
In the last five years, we have been consistently competitive, with the 2019 Leinster final victory the standout moment.
Davy’s contribution to the activities of Wexford GAA went above and beyond those expected from a Senior Team Manager. Davy is and will always be held in the highest of esteem by all in Wexford GAA.”

Olympic Equestrian: Watson and O’Connor compete

Team Ireland had two jockeys and horse competing at Eventing Dressage day 1 at the Dressage Park in Tokyo this morning

Ireland’s first competitor, Sam Watson started early at 08:30 in the morning in Japan. The Clonmel man rode Flamenco as they completed his routine in an elegant fashion with 34.30 in penalty scores.

This sits himself at 14th in the individual event after session 1 while also placing 12th in the team event.

The 35-year-old Watson was happy with his performance, finishing ahead of seven other jockeys while Team GB’s Oliver Townsend sits on top after riding Ballaghmor Class.

Next up for Ireland in Session two at 09:30 was Austin O’Connor riding the Irish bred Colorado Blue . These two completed the course with a penalty score of 38.00.

This sits himself in 34th of 42 of the individual event while bringing Ireland to 13th in the team event.

Watson and Flamenco have dropped into 28th after the second session while Britain’s Townsend still holds first with his routine only have 23.60 penalty score.

Ireland’s third member of the equestrian team will take to the ring tomorrow in Day two, Session three just after midnight.

Sarah Ennis will be riding Woodcourt Garrison as Ireland’s last hopes of bring up their score in the team event.

Jan Blachowicz (c) vs. Glover Teixeira: Odds & Prediction As Champion Tipped to Defend

The battle for the light heavyweight title will be on when Jan Blachowicz, the current champion will take on the ultimate challenger Glover Teixeira on October 30 in the faraway Middle East, Abu Dhabi. The Polish international will be hoping to defend his UFC champions light heavyweight title for the second time as he locks horns against a formidable Brazilian, Glover Teixeira. Giving the nature of the fight, and top fighters involved, many UFC pundits and game punters have started predicting what could be the outcome of the game. A quick visit to ufc betting sites will certainly reveal more about the latest UFC games, betting tips, and odds. You can place a bet now to stand a better chance of winning cash rewards.

Jan Blachowicz the Ultimate Champion

Having originally won the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship against Dominick Reyes, on September 27, 2020, via a TKO in the second round. The Polish fighter then defended his title for the first time against the UFC Middleweight Champion Israel Adesanya on March 6, 2021, at UFC 259, this time, it was via unanimous decision, becoming the only person so far to defeat Adesanya in mixed martial arts.

The 38-year-old UFC champion in the light heavyweight category is expected to defend his title again when he faces the Brazilian Glover Teixeira later in the year.

Glover Teixeira a Second Time Coming for the Title Shot

Coming from a five-fight winning run, in which he has been an underdog or a pick‘em in four of those victories. The Brazilian Mixed Martial Arts fighter will be hoping he continues his streak to clinch his light heavyweight champion title. The 41-year-old was number one on the UFC rankings list as of November 9, 2020. He will be hoping to win the UFC Champion in the Light Heavyweight championship category, having lost the same fixture against Jon Jones in 2014. 

Is Glover and Jan, Two of the Same Kind?

Many UFC pundits have observed that both Blachowicz and Teixeira are similar in terms of fighting styles. And it would be difficult to predict the winner. According to Evelyn Balyton, an expert in sports analysis, she concluded that the Brazilian challenger, Teixeira probably has the edge to win this fight, considering the fact he has effective boxing skills, with 18 knockouts to nine submissions out of his 32 win records.

However, it should also be noted that despite the fighting IQ of Glover Teixeira, including his ability to effectively determine when to maintain his energy and when to tug, the current UFC champion in the light heavyweight category, Blachowicz is a two-inch reach above his challenger, and considering his top kickboxing skills, he may just be the right to tame the challenger at bay.

Also, it has been observed over time, the 41-year-old Brazilian feet typically expose his legs to take more shots than he lands, and this could be his Achille’s heel, which the current champion will be more than ready to exploit in this match to his advantage.

Blachowicz vs Teixeira Match Prediction

Technically, this is a difficult fight to predict. But because Jan Blachowicz is the defending champion, and he is also the younger fighter between the two,  if he can successfully land many kicks at range and then keep the fight on the feet or find a way to exhaust Glover’s energy, he is expected to take the win at the end of the day.

Other List of UFC events coming up in October

UFC Fight Night 195 – October 2, 2021 – TBC

  • Johnny Walker vs. Thiago Santos
  • Joe Solecki vs. Jared Gordon
  • Karol Rosa vs. Bethe Correia

UFC Fight Night 196 – October 9, 2021 – TBC

  • Laureano Staropoli vs. Jamie Pickett
  • Lupita Godinez vs. Sam Hughes
  • Felipe Colares vs. Chris Gutierrez

UFC Fight Night 196 – October 16, 2021 – TBC

  • Nate Landwehr vs. Ludovit Klein
  • Maryna Moroz vs. Luana Carolina
  • Andrei Arlovski vs. Carlos Felipe

UFC 267 – October 30, 2021 – TBC, Abu Dhabi

  • Jan Blachowicz (c) vs. Glover Teixeira
  • Amanda Ribas vs. Virna Jandiroba
  • Li Jingliang vs. Khamzat Chimaev

 

List of recent UFC results 

UFC 264 – July 10, 2021 – T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas

  • Dustin Poirier def. Conor McGregor, TKO (leg injury)
  • Gilbert Burns def. Stephen Thompson, Decision (unanimous)
  • Tai Tuivasa def. Greg Hardy, KO (punches)
  • Irene Aldana def. Yana Kunitskaya, TKO (punches)
  • Sean O’Malley def. Kris Moutinho TKO (punches)

UFC Fight Night 190 – June 26, 2021 – UFC Apex, Las Vegas

  • Ciryl Gane def. Alexander Volkov, Decision (unanimous)
  • Tanner Boser def. Ovince Saint Preux, KO (punches)
  • Timur Valiev def. Raoni Barcelos, Decision (majority)

Blachowicz vs Teixeira Betting Odds

At the moment, UFC betting sites has disclosed Blachowicz vs Teixeira odds and the defending champion is having a -250 favorite to win, while the challenger is given the odd of +200 underdog. This implies a bet of $250 on Blachowicz will earn the punter a profit of $100 while a bet of $100 on Teixeira would earn the punter a net of $200 at the end of the day if the prediction checks out.

                   Fighter             Odds

  • Jan Blachowicz -250

Glover Teixeira +200

What Are The Benefits Of Winning The Europa League?

What Are The Benefits Of Winning The Europa League? 

It seems that with the UEFA Europa League, you don’t need to actually win the cup to win a substantial amount of money. Although winning is better for many reasons, simply qualifying to participate in the competition can see a club earning substantial amounts of money. So what are the actual benefits of winning the Europa League? Keep reading to find out more! 

The UEFA Europa League Prize Money 2021/2022 

Before the new season, the UEFA Europa League prize money has been announced and it’s a lot better than that of the previous season. The Europa League is Europe’s second-best professional football competition that is played by teams that did not make the cut for the UEFA Champions League. 

 

The Europa League runs at the same time that the Champions League does and even though it’s a second-tier competition, it has produced some notable winners since it first began. The UEFA Europa League prize money for the winners currently sits at €8 600 000 and the prize money for the team that comes second is €4 600 000. Although this is an impressive amount, the prize money for first place is still less than that of the Champions League. However, the Europa League prize money beats that of the UEFA Europa Conference League. 

The UEFA Europa League Prize Money For 2021/2022 Explained 

Even though many people may not see the Europa League as being as noteworthy as the Champions League, it does still hold some prestige across the world. In fact, one of the best things about the Europa League is that the winners of the competition immediately qualify for a spot in the UEFA Champions League for the next season and they qualify for the UEFA Super Cup. Plus, teams in the Europa League are able to make more money from the start of the group stages all the way up to the knockout stage and even right down to the final match. 

 

In comparison to other European club soccer competitions, the Europa League uses the same system or method to allocate money and distribute funds to all the teams participating across the continent. Not to forget, the teams in the Europa League also have other opportunities to get money as they get given funds throughout the competition based on their performance. Factors like broadcast rights and adverts also impact how much money the teams earn from the Europa League. 

What Does The UEFA Europa League Prize Money Mean For Smaller Clubs? 

The UEFA Europa League provides an opportunity for smaller football clubs in Europe to earn some additional money from simply participating in the competition, the same way that it’s done in their respective domestic leagues. In some of the lower European leagues, the prize money given to the winners or cup champions does not amount anywhere close to the prize money received in the Europa League. 

 

Not to mention, the teams that play in the group stages and knockout stages collectively make significantly more money for their club. This is of course an added advantage that helps to boost the financial level for the season. 

 

Another benefit is the popularity, recognition, and relevance that the Europa League gives the smaller European football clubs. This attar’s more investors, potential partners, and even better advertising, which all in all bring more money to the club. So not only are the smaller clubs making money from playing in the Europa League or winning it, but they also make money from match bonuses, gate keepings from fans, tv rights, deals and so much more!  

What Does The UEFA Europa League Prize Money Mean For Bigger Clubs 

Although the Europa League was created for smaller clubs who could not qualify for the highly revered Champions League, bigger clubs will definitely also benefit from the same benefits. For the bigger clubs who have failed to qualify for the knockout stages of the Champions League, the Europa League provides them with the perfect avenue to automatically reach the group stages the next season by winning the Europa League. Topsides such as Chelsea, Manchester United, Sevilla, and Villarreal CF have all used this avenue. 

 

Olympic Golf: McIlroy & Lowry In The Mix After R2

Team Ireland golfers Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry are chasing current leader Mexican Carlos Ortiz after a very strong second round for both golfers.

McIlroy shot five-under-par to fire himself into medal contention in the final two rounds after an unspectacular first day.

Lowry went one better with a six-under Friday to go level with his Team Ireland teammate in joint-fourth.

McIlroy’s 18-hole performance was erratic at times but the Northern Irish golfer impressed overall on day two of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Golf tournament.

Furthermore, McIlroy was comfortable and composed for much of the day with a strong first nine putting him in a good position before play was stopped due to the weather after 12 holes.

He parred the first five holes and followed them up with two birdies in a row and an eagle on the par-five eighth hole.

A bogey on hole 11 threatened to dampen his day but McIlroy’s response was strong, coming back with a birdie on 12 and following it up with two birdies after play was resumed.

His swings were strong but proved detrimental to McIlroy on several occasions.

The tee shot on 15 went awry and forced the World Number 13 into a tough situation that he only got out of with a bit of luck.

His third shot on the final hole had too much power and missed the green, leading to the Olympian’s bogey to finish proceedings for the day.

Shane Lowry also had a strong second round to put himself firmly in contention for a medal, something that he desires.

Lowry never managed to eagle a hole but seven birdies across his round saw the Offalyman shoot up the leaderboard.

Holes six to eight on the first nine saw 2019 Champion Golfer of the Year score three birdies in a row but a bogey on nine threatened to settle down the hot streak.

It failed and Lowry posted an even better back nine to end the day with a score of 65 and sits on seven-under in the tournament.

Three birdies in the space of four holes towards the end of his 18 holes sent a statement to his opposition that he’s coming for the medal he wants.

Tee times for the final two rounds are set to be announced after round two ends.

Ireland Fall To India And Risk Olympic Exit

The Ireland Women’s national hockey team lost 1-0 to India courtesy of a late goal from Navneet Kaur in the early hours of Friday morning.

Sean Dancer’s Ireland produced a defensive performance with periods of possession that ultimately failed to pull the side over the line and into the Olympic quarter-finals.

India’s constant pressure created many chances for the side three places below Ireland in the world rankings.

Sjoerd Marijne’s team were in desperate need of a big performance after losing their first three games and came into the game off the back of what the coach had dubbed the “worst match” of his side’s Olympic campaign.

His team responded with a strong performance at Oi Stadium in Tokyo, an hour after they were initially scheduled to play Ireland – the game was delayed due to the weather in Japan.

Ireland looked to press high up the field but India found it easy to break and used the wide flanks that Dancer’s side had surrendered via their formation to dominate proceedings early.

10 penalty corners and 13 circle penetrations in the first half underlined the side’s strong start but they missed the clinical touch.

Ireland fought back with a strong start to the second quarter but faded in the final minutes of the half with nothing to show for their time on top.

Penalty corners and a chance from Anna O’Flanagan looked set to be the start of the Irish taking control of the game but were frustrated by the Indian defence.

The Irish defence had a big task moments later with four consecutive Indian penalty corners pinning the Irish into their circle.

India used their video review twice in the third quarter after getting it back because the first play was not able to be reviewed sufficiently, losing it a minute later.

Ireland fought back to end the third quarter after another prolonged period of Indian superiority but the game remained scoreless heading into the final quarter.

The national side failed to follow-up on that spark of attacking hockey and India continued to peg them back.

Ireland had one notable chance – a shot from O’Flanagan was saved by Savita five minutes from time – as India finished the game on a high note with a lifeline goal from Kaur keeping them in the race for the Olympic quarter-finals.

Dancer brought off goalkeeper McFerran for an outfield player in an attempt to grab an equaliser but it was not to be.

Ireland has one more group game with a win needed to reach the quarter-finals but faces a Team Great Britain side that humiliated the Indian side they were beaten by.

India, on the other hand, faces South Africa and now has the momentum heading into their final game.

Ireland currently occupies the final quarter-final spot in Pool A with a better goal difference than their rivals.

Ireland will face Team GB on Saturday, July 31st at 12:45 pm at Oi Stadium in a must-win game.

Olympic Boxing: Walsh secures medal, Harrington dominates first bout

Team Ireland had two strong boxers, Kellie Harrington and Aidan Walsh, in action early this morning from the Kokugikan Arena in Tokyo

Women’s Lightweight (57-60kg) – Round of 16

Kellie Harrington (Ireland) v Rebecca Nicoli (Italy)

Harrington has had to wait a week but has finally done her first bout at Tokyo 2020 and looked as calm and collected as ever.

Ireland’s flag bearer was to face Italy’s 21-year-old boxer Nicoli in her first fight. The Irish fighter had a slight height and reach advantage over the Italian but also comes in as one of the favourites to claim a medal at these Games.

The first round went as expected, Harrington played her game by keeping her distance from her opponent, making strong combos and ducking out before the Italian could strike.

Harrington dominated the round and it was reflected in the judges scores with her unanimously winning.

The Irish woman slowed from her usual high tempo in the second round as Nicoli became more attacking. Instead, Harrington changed to using quick punches while keeping her head moving.

She adapted perfectly to the situation and won all the judges votes again in that round all but guaranteeing her place in the quarterfinals.

Round three and Harrington continued to show her class. She never seemed tired, barely breaking a sweat as she landed punch after punch on her opponent.

In one of the most dominant displays of any boxer so far at the Olympics, Harrington took a clean sweep of all the judges scores, winning the bout over Nicoli 5-0.

The Irish boxer will now face Algeria’s Imane Khelif in the quarterfinals, one fight away from guaranteeing at least a bronze medal for herself.

The quarterfinal bout will take place at 04:35 on Tuesday, 3rd August.

Men’s Welterweight (63-69kg) – Quarterfinal

Aidan Walsh (Ireland) v Merven Clair (Mauritius)

Aidan Walsh qualified for the quarterfinal by easily beating Cameroon’s Mengue Ayissi three days ago. His opponent Clair beat Canada’s Sanford and Jordan’s Eashash already in the tournament.

This would be a big step up from his last bout but Walsh seemed confident that he could get himself into a medal position.

The fight started cagey with both boxers not wanted to leave themselves open and choosing to make fast swings from distances. Walsh, always on his toes, seemed to be the much faster athlete, continuously ducking and dodging while leaving hits on the Mauritius man.

The Irish boxer ended the round with a unanimous vote in his favour.

The second round continued in the same vein but Walsh did not slow down. Clair knew he needed to step up or this would be the end of his Olympics but the Irish man kept eluding him.

The second round had Walsh winning 30-28 on three of the judges scores meaning except for something special, he would be going through.

The third round was one for only the diehard fans as Walsh wanted to run down the clock with little incident. He received two warnings from the referee for inactivity but that would not faze him, leaving Clair with little to do.

The final bell rang out and Walsh’s hand was raised, winning 4-1 on a split decision. This means that Ireland now have their first medallist in the boxing.

We will have to wait until he faces Team GB’s Pat McCormack to see if it will be a bronze medal or the chance of silver or gold.

That fight will take place at 04:03 on Sunday, 1st August.

Ireland’s other boxer Kurt Walker will also fight against USA’s Duke Ragan on Sunday at 03:30.

Olympic Sailing: Murphy narrowly misses out, 49ers pair in tough position

This has been a very mixed two days for Team Ireland on the sailing circuit at Enoshima and Kamakura between Annalise Murphy and the men’s 49er

Laser Radial Women Race 9/10 – Annalise Murphy

Murphy came into this morning’s races seemingly back on he usual form after finishing first and second in her last two races. Due to her bad luck and form and the beginning of the competition she sat in 14th place overall in the rankings.

If she managed to pull off two more great performances today she would be in with a shout of the ten-team medal race.

The wind had slowed to eight knots but it remained hot in Enoshima with 27 degree temperatures and 80 percent humidity.

Race nine seemed like a bridge too far for Murphy as she dropped back to 30th place effectively leaving her knocked out.

Race ten took place an hour later and Murphy started poorly again, she finished her final race of Tokyo 2020 down in 40th place.

This ends a disappointing run at the Olympics for the 31-year-old who only briefly showed her true quality in yesterday’s races finishing first and second.

 

49er Men Race 7/8/9 – Robert Dickson, Sean Waddilove

This Irish pair were looking to be having a great Olympics so far until yesterday’s second and sixth place finishes were disqualified for using a harness that was too heavy.

This dropped them in the rankings from seventh to 13th with an uphill battle to reach the medal race in a few days time.

The Irish pair lined up in slightly hotter conditions of 29 degrees in Kamakura.

In race seven they showed some of the form that saw them so highly ranked before as they fought for an eight place finish.

This was following by race eight that saw them drop all the way back to eighteenth while the Australian’s received a ‘U’ Flag disqualification.

This left a lot of pressure on their final go of the day in race nine. The pair bounced back to come home in ninth place. This now leave them with an overall ranking of 14th leaving it all to do in the last three races.

Ireland’s last day of sailing will take place tomorrow morning at 04:05 with the 49er team competing in race 10, 11 and 12. They will need to but everything into it to make the medal race.

 

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