With the athletics segment of the Olympics firmly underway at this stage there have been trials and tribulations aplenty on show, yielding a mixed bag of results.
While Nadia Power and Sarah Lavin were disappointed with their performances and to be knocked out during the heats, the 4x400m relay featuring (Phil Healy and Sophie Becker) has made it to the final and are ready to exceed everyone’s expectations today at 1:35 pm Irish time.
Meanwhile the dressage portion of the equestrian event sees Team Ireland move to 14th in the table, with Sarah Ennis competing on the world stage on Horseware Woodcourt Garrison.
100m hurdles
Seventh in heat 3 of 100m hurdles in a time of 13.16 for @sarahlavin_ - which wasn't enough to progress #olympics #Tokyo2020 #RTESport #athletics
📺 Watch live - https://t.co/vIleGYB8Gh
📱 Live updates - https://t.co/YcToNt1Sys pic.twitter.com/QRLMjKKrEv— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) July 31, 2021
Sarah Lavin derived the second fastest time of her career in heat two of the 100m hurdles this morning at 2:53 am.
13:16 seconds saw her place 7th, with world record holder Kendra Harrison sailing to victory with 12:74.
While the time wasn’t enough to see Lavin advance any further, the Olympic debutant can be proud having made it to Tokyo and has vowed this isn’t the end of the Limerick athlete at the quadrennial competition.
“I wasn’t here five years ago. I’ll be here in three years’ time hopefully again and obviously want to go further than the heats” she told RTE in a post run interview.
“It is my second-fastest time ever but looking back on the race briefly there, I never got going out of the blocks. I was running someone else’s race for the whole thing.”
“You want to come here and you want to run your best time. I’m capable of being in the semi-finals. I don’t think I’m capable of being in the final right now.”
Despite running her second fastest race ever, 100m hurdler @sarahlavin_ says she 'never got going'. 'I was running someone else's races for the whole thing'#olympics #Tokyo2020 #RTESport #athletics
📺 Watch live - https://t.co/vIleGYB8Gh
📱 Report - https://t.co/XJaL22tsNP pic.twitter.com/8CPngglFsB— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) July 31, 2021
Dressage
The Baji Koen Equestrian Park is home to the dressage phase of eventing which began this morning in which Team Ireland finished up 13th overall on 110.40 marks.
Sam Watson, Austin O’Connor and Sarah Ennis make up the group that tackle the newly designed testing conditions, formed in order to combat the hot conditions of the host country.
Ennis & Horseware Woodcourt Garrison showcased what they were made of at 2:32am Irish time and claimed a score of 38.10 and 50th place upon conclusion.
Reflecting on the display the 46-year-old commented how she was “very disappointed.”
“We really thought we had him in a position to get a much better mark. He has been going amazing all week. He just got nervous when he went into the ring. We just have to hope that the rest of it goes a bit better.”
Tomorrow the action moves about an hour away to Sea Forest Cross Country course where the team will demonstrate other areas of their abilities amongst a tricky track.
“The time is going to be really influential” says Ennis.
“It is like an ERM [Event Riders Masters], it is going to be really fast and quickly, and I think there are going to be a lot of time penalties out there.”
#Equestrian
Sarah Ennis & Horseware Woodcourt Garrison (ISH) score 38.10 for 47th place with 3 left to compete in the #Dressage phase of #Eventing. Well done Sarah! 🇮🇪☘️
Action moves to Sea Forest XC for tomorrow’s competition.#TeamIreland #Tokyo2020 @HorseSportIRL pic.twitter.com/UzcCQ1NxHk— Team Ireland (@TeamIreland) July 31, 2021
What’s to come today
Hockey
This morning’s fixture between South Africa and India saw a game full of controversy, referrals, and goals. Finishing up 4-3 in India’s favour the development means The Girls in Green must now win against the reigning champions Great Britain at 12:45pm (Irish time) today.
India’s 4-3 win over South Africa in Pool A means Ireland HAVE to beat reigning champions Great Britain to advance to the QFs. A win would be enough, as opposed to having to win by X goals for GD. Draw or lose, it’s over. Roll on 1245 Irish time 👀#Hockey #TeamIreland #Tokyo2020 pic.twitter.com/V1brCyWqCz
— Elaine Buckley (@ElaineBucko) July 31, 2021
4x400m Mixed Relay
OLYMPIC FINALISTS!!!!!🥳🤩🤩🤩🥳🥳🥳 Automatic qualification and smashing the national record by 4 seconds!!! Tomorrow the final is at 1.35pm Irish time 🤩☘️🙌🏻 Succeeding as a team of 6, with 2 great team mates on stand by playing a massive role at all times. pic.twitter.com/FgIoZDoisQ
— Phil Healy (@philhealy2) July 30, 2021
Further updates during the night have seen the USA and the Dominican Republic reinstated to the 4x400m mixed relay final.
Ireland would have proceeded as the fastest losers regardless and so remain where they are, but the decision may have seen Germany left on the sidelines had the authorization not been afforded for them to compete as a ninth team.
Ireland have now drawn lane 1 where they will challenge at 1:35 pm Irish time.
Update on the update! USA & The Dominican Republic have been reinstated on appeal. Ireland still qualify for the final as the fastest team outside the top six automatic qualifiers by 0.06s. https://t.co/T5UNYTJMMn
— Her Sport (@HerSportDotIE) July 31, 2021
