Ireland competed at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris from 24 July to 11 August 2024, commemorating its centenary of the team's debut as an independent country in the same venue.[1] Irish athletes have competed in every Summer Olympics edition of the modern era, either in its own right or as part of a Great Britain and Ireland team before 1924, except for the Berlin 1936 Olympics.
Ireland sent a record 134 athletes to the Games, across 15 sports. 2024 also marked the centenary of Ireland's first independent appearance at the 1924 Olympic Games, also in Paris, after the founding of the Irish Free State in 1922.[2]
The 2024 Summer Olympics was the most successful Olympics in the history of the nation, with Ireland breaking their previous record medal haul of 6 at London 2012. The team also surpassed the Atlanta 96 record of 3 Olympics golds in a games, including both a first Olympic medal and Olympic gold medal in gymnastics as well as a first gold for the men in swimming.[3]
Ireland guaranteed a podium finish on seven consecutive days: the opening Monday (McSharry, swimming), then Tuesday (Wiffen, swimming), followed by Wednesday (this was the day Harrington secured at least a bronze medal in boxing),[5] then Thursday (Lynch & Doyle, rowing), followed by McCarthy and O'Donovan's gold in rowing on Friday.[6] The streak continued on Saturday with McClenaghan's gold in gymnastics[7] and was rounded off with Daniel Wiffen securing a second podium finish in the pool on Sunday[8].[additional citation(s) needed]
The nation's media also reported on Irish links to athletes for other nations, notably Hungarian swimmer Hubert Kós (200 metre backstroke gold medalist), as well as Hong Kong's multi medal-winning swimmer Siobhán Haughey (grand-niece of former TaoiseachCharles Haughey).[9][10] Neither's achievements count towards Ireland's total.
A number of Northern Ireland athletes competed for, and in several cases won gold medals for, Great Britain and Northern Ireland, including rower Hannah Scott and Jack McMillan who had previously swum for Ireland at the 2020 Games. These successes were also widely reported upon in Ireland. The success of Northern Ireland born athletes for both teams was reported on widely in Northern Ireland in particular, with the combined total of four golds, one silver and two bronze medals for Northern Irish athletes being reported as "Northern Ireland's best ever Games" and a symbol of the increasing ease felt in Northern Ireland with its multiple Irish and British identities[11][12].
Irish track and field athletes achieved the entry standards for Paris 2024, either by passing the direct qualifying mark (or time for track and road races) or by world ranking, in the following events (a maximum of 3 athletes each):[13]
Key
Note–Ranks given for track events are within the athlete's heat only
Q = Qualified for the next round
q = Qualified for the next round as a fastest loser or, in field events, by position without achieving the qualifying target
Ireland entered two badminton players into the Olympic tournament based on the BWF Race to Paris Rankings. The team was officially announced on 29 May 2024.[14]
Ireland qualified a boat in the men's C-1 class, and men's K-1 class at the 2023 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships in Lee Valley, London. They also qualified a boat in the women's K-1 class as a result of their result in the 2023 European Games. All slalom canoeists will also be eligible for the extreme kayak/kayak cross event.[20][21]
Ireland entered three road cyclists (two male and one female). Ireland qualified two male and one female through the UCI Nation Ranking and 2023 World Championships in Glasgow, Great Britain.[22] Selection 19th July
A silver medal finish in the 2024 UCI Track Cycling Nations Cup event in Hong Kong ensured that the Ireland women's team pursuit team could not finish below tenth overall in the Team Pursuit world rankings, and thus guaranteed qualification in all three women's endurance events in Paris.
Ireland entered a full squad of equestrian riders each to the team eventing and jumping competitions through a top-five finish in jumping at the 2022 FEI World Championships in Herning, Denmark, and through a top-six finish at the Eventing Worlds on the same year in Pratoni del Vivaro, Italy. Ireland also entered one rider in the dressage individual events, through the establishments of final olympics ranking for Group A (North Western Europe).[24][25][26]
Ireland entered four golfers into the Olympic tournament. In the Men's individual Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry qualified directly for the games, based on their respective world ranking positions, on the IGF World Rankings. In the Women's individual, Leona Maguire and Stephanie Meadow represented Ireland.
Rhys McClenaghan achieved a quota place for Ireland at the Paris 2024 Artistic Gymnastics meet by winning gold in the pommel horse at the 2023 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships and was selected on 5 June 2024.[30] As a pommel specialist, he is not expected to compete across all apparatus, but is entitled to do so.
Qualification Legend: FA=Final A (medal); FB=Final B (non-medal); FC=Final C (non-medal); FD=Final D (non-medal); FE=Final E (non-medal); FF=Final F (non-medal); SA/B=Semifinals A/B; SC/D=Semifinals C/D; SE/F=Semifinals E/F; QF=Quarterfinals; R=Repechage
Irish sailors qualified one boat in each of the following classes through the 2023 Sailing World Championships in The Hague, Netherlands, 2023 49er European Championship in Vilamoura, Portugal, and 2024 ILCA 6 World Championships in Mar del Plata, Argentina. The team was announced on 18 June 2024.[43]
Irish swimmers achieved the entry standards in the following events for Paris 2024 (a maximum of two swimmers under the Olympic Qualifying Time (OST) and potentially at the Olympic Consideration Time (OCT)):[44] To assure their selection to the Irish roster, swimmers must attain the Olympic qualifying cut in the final (or in heat-declared winner races on time for long-distance freestyle) of each individual pool event at any of the domestic meets approved by World Aquatics, Olympic Federation of Ireland, and Swim Ireland: the 2023 World Aquatics Championships (23–30 July in Fukuoka), the 2024 World Aquatics Championships (2–18 February in Doha), and the 2024 Irish Open Championships (currently set for May 2024), if necessary and available.[45]
The team was announced on 4 July 2024.[46][47]
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