Road to Tokyo 2020 - Irish Olympic News

Skid X · 15-06-2019 3:30pm

Strazdas wrote: »

I believe it's a play off spot for qualification in October that is on offer. That first article says they could end up playing the match at home if things go their way this year.

Edit : and they've secured the Olympic play off spot later this year, beating the Czechs 4-0

Yeah, I think you are correct. Hopefully they can secure the Olympic spot in October.

Strazdas · 15-06-2019 4:56pm

Skid X wrote: »

Yeah, I think you are correct. Hopefully they can secure the Olympic spot in October.

One encouraging sign is they appear to be playing brilliantly under their new coach. There might have been a fear things would unravel a bit when the World Cup guy suddenly left but they seem as good as ever.

Strazdas · 22-06-2019 4:35pm

And the men's hockey team also secure an Olympic play off spot in the autumn with their 4-2 win over South Korea today :

https://www.rte.ie/sport/hockey/2019/0622/1056917-ireland-secure-olympic-qualifier-spot-in-france/

Pierre de Coubertin · 11-08-2019 6:52pm

Delighted to add Natalya Coyle Modern Pentathlon to the list! Qualified today at the European Championships in Bath.

Strazdas · 11-08-2019 6:57pm

Pierre de Coubertin wrote: »

Delighted to add Natalya Coyle Modern Pentathlon to the list! Qualified today at the European Championships in Bath.

She's a top class pentathlete too, well done to her

Oldira · 19-08-2019 4:34pm

Important week in Equestrian qualification ahead.

In the European Dressage championships we lie 4th of those who have yet to qualify with 3 spots available. We have Judy Reynolds to come tomorrow and she should post a good score which will give us a great chance.

Later in the week the showjumpers will be trying to finish in the top 3 of those yet to qualify. Easier said than done as Britain, Belgium, Italy and France are all seeking spots too. Remember the debacle of 2015?

Oldira · 20-08-2019 1:24pm

Ireland have qualified a Dressage Team for the first time ever to the Olympics!
Took the 2nd of 3 available spots at the European Championships.

Team now up to 13.

Pierre de Coubertin · 20-08-2019 4:26pm

Wow brilliant!

Judy Reynolds has been highly ranked for several years but I didn't know we had the makings of a competitive team at that level.

Its the show jumpers we really want to see qualified this week though surely? As strong a medal chance as any team in it if we can get there.

Oldira · 20-08-2019 5:32pm

Pierre de Coubertin wrote: »

Wow brilliant!

Judy Reynolds has been highly ranked for several years but I didn't know we had the makings of a competitive team at that level.

Its the show jumpers we really want to see qualified this week though surely? As strong a medal chance as any team in it if we can get there.

With the rweduction in team members to 3 it made a few more team quota available. But it was only this year that they decided to try and qualify a team. Abount a month ago I saw the rankings from FEI and it looked as we could have an outside chance of qualifying. The fact that Reynolds knocked it out of the park today made all the difference.

Three team qualify in the showjumping and there are five serious contenders. Ireland,France, Italy, Belgium and GB. After a poor year GB is coming into form so it will be a nailbiter. There is one final chance in October at the Nations Cup final if disaster strikes us as it did in 2015.

Pierre de Coubertin · 22-08-2019 1:29pm

Not going to plan for the show jumpers unfortunately (not over yet obvs)

Team IRL Equestrian‏ @TeamIRLEq

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Ireland and are in 8th place at the end of today and are now in 5th place of the teams chasing the 3 Olympic qualification places. Belgium lead that race ahead of Britain, France, Italy, Ireland and Denmark.

Pierre de Coubertin · 22-08-2019 1:38pm

In the non qualified standings it is

BEL 11.07
GB 13.41
FRA 17.39
======
ITA 26.74
IRE 30.36

So going into the final round tomorrow BEL, GB both have 4 fences in hand of us, FRA have 3 in hand and Italy less than a fence. No Irish horse jumped clear today. Miracle needed!

Pierre de Coubertin · 23-08-2019 3:58pm

2 clears and a single rail from the Irish so far, so the worst we can be is on 34.

Will mean little to do that with the pressure off and nothing to lose. The qualification chance went yesterday.

We have overtaken the Italians but are still well behind France (17), GB (13) and Belgium (11) - all still on their overnight scores and with 2 to jump

Pierre de Coubertin · 23-08-2019 4:03pm

French third line rider up next.

We need him to have at least a 12 to have any hope of catching them.

If that doesn't happen then we need the GB or Belgians third riders to have 16 or more.

Edit- France one down so they are on 21 now and cant be worse than 25 so we cant catch them.
Edit GB one down also so cant catch them either
Edit Belgium 1 time fault

Good Night!

Skid X · 23-08-2019 5:54pm

Same story every year with the ShowJumpers

They don't perform (or don't turn up) when it matters for Olympic qualification.

Joe_ Public · 23-08-2019 7:14pm

Very disappointing. Only one chance left now and thats in the Nations Cup final in Barcelona in october. When you look at the Europe Division 1 nations, its only ourselves and Italy who havent made Olympic qualification yet. Not too sure what other nations will be in there with them fighting it out.

Pierre de Coubertin · 23-08-2019 10:20pm

It's tragic. Akin to the Kenyans not qualifying a steeplechaser.

And sorry, I know there is one more chance in Barcelona but the 4 who competed this week have no chance there.

Maybe in the equestrian events we are more of a nation of dealers and producers. When it comes to the crunch (Olympics) we are not at the races.

locum-motion · 25-08-2019 2:29pm

Pierre de Coubertin wrote: »

.... When it comes to the crunch (Olympics) we are not at the races.

That’s the problem. We are at the races. Flat races. National Hunt races. Mixed meetings with both types of races.

We’re so fcuking obsessed with races in this country that our equestrian resources are all focused there, not show jumping. Or cross country.

(Note I didn’t mention dressage. Dressage is just silly and deserves zero resources!)

Oldira · 26-08-2019 1:29pm

Pierre de Coubertin wrote: »

It's tragic. Akin to the Kenyans not qualifying a steeplechaser.

And sorry, I know there is one more chance in Barcelona but the 4 who competed this week have no chance there.

Maybe in the equestrian events we are more of a nation of dealers and producers. When it comes to the crunch (Olympics) we are not at the races.

Well all the Irish team have to do is finish ahead of Italy. The other countries not qualified are nations like Norway, Portugal,UAE and other lesser lights.

Surely to God they cant fail there?

Oldira · 26-08-2019 2:43pm

Ireland have had a sold start to the World Rowing Championships which is the main qualifying event for Tokyo 2020.

Our two main hopes for qualification in the Mens Lightweight Double Sculls and Womens single sculls easily won their heats. Our next best hope in the mens Double sculls also won their heat.
The womens pair who have a reasonjable chance of qualification and they finished 2nd in their heat and are straight through to the Q/F. The Womens 4 have a slight chance of making it. They nee to be in the top 8 of 16 crews. They finished 3rd in their heat and go in the repechage tomorrow where 3 of 5 boats will qualify for S/F.

catchup · 30-08-2019 5:16pm

From Liam Gorman in today's Irish Times:
Three boats qualified for Tokyo 2020 and one medal won. The Ireland team are thriving at the World Rowing Championships – and there are still two days of finals to go.
Katie O’Brien took bronze in the PR2 pararowing on her 23rd birthday.
“To medal at the World Championships is something I’ve always aimed for,” the Galway woman said. “To achieve that today is kind of a good birthday present!”
She has her eyes on the Paralympic Games, should she be able to find a male partner with a similar lower limb disability.
Sanita Puspure and the men’s double joined the lightweight double by qualifying their boats for Tokyo. And, like Fintan McCarthy and Paul O’Donovan on Thursday, they did it by winning their semi-finals.
Both crews did the damage in the middle 1,000 metres. Puspure edged away from the pack at 500 metres. She led her main rival, Emma Twigg of New Zealand, by just under a length at 1,000 metres, then pulled that out to over a boat length at 1,500 metres.
Puspure won in a faster time than Kara Kohler of the US had clocked in the first semi.
The double of Philip Doyle and Ronan Byrne are a confident young crew – Byrne is just 21 – and gave an assured performance. They matched New Zealand early on, used the middle stages to take the lead and then held off the final charges of Britain and Romania to win by just under a second. It was Romania rather than the fancied British who took second and they roared with joy.
Doyle and Byrne sat mutely on the green water on this course beside the Danube and took their time to recover. Like Puspure, their minds will now be on Sunday and their final. And maybe a little thought will be given to Tokyo.

Strazdas · 30-08-2019 5:21pm

catchup wrote: »

From Liam Gorman in today's Irish Times:
Three boats qualified for Tokyo 2020 and one medal won. The Ireland team are thriving at the World Rowing Championships – and there are still two days of finals to go.
Katie O’Brien took bronze in the PR2 pararowing on her 23rd birthday.
“To medal at the World Championships is something I’ve always aimed for,” the Galway woman said. “To achieve that today is kind of a good birthday present!”
She has her eyes on the Paralympic Games, should she be able to find a male partner with a similar lower limb disability.
Sanita Puspure and the men’s double joined the lightweight double by qualifying their boats for Tokyo. And, like Fintan McCarthy and Paul O’Donovan on Thursday, they did it by winning their semi-finals.
Both crews did the damage in the middle 1,000 metres. Puspure edged away from the pack at 500 metres. She led her main rival, Emma Twigg of New Zealand, by just under a length at 1,000 metres, then pulled that out to over a boat length at 1,500 metres.
Puspure won in a faster time than Kara Kohler of the US had clocked in the first semi.
The double of Philip Doyle and Ronan Byrne are a confident young crew – Byrne is just 21 – and gave an assured performance. They matched New Zealand early on, used the middle stages to take the lead and then held off the final charges of Britain and Romania to win by just under a second. It was Romania rather than the fancied British who took second and they roared with joy.
Doyle and Byrne sat mutely on the green water on this course beside the Danube and took their time to recover. Like Puspure, their minds will now be on Sunday and their final. And maybe a little thought will be given to Tokyo.

Very impressive : all three Tokyo qualifiers won their semi finals in the process

catchup · 30-08-2019 5:23pm

And two more crews racing tomorrow with Tokyo chances. One probable and one possible.

Strazdas · 31-08-2019 1:07pm

catchup wrote: »

And two more crews racing tomorrow with Tokyo chances. One probable and one possible.

Aileen Crowley & Monika Dukarska qualify for Tokyo, making it boat No. 4 to get through. It's been a great week so far.

https://www.rte.ie/sport/rowing/2019/0831/1072993-crowely-and-dukarska-secure-olympic-qualification/

Skid X · 31-08-2019 8:55pm

Paul O'Donovan and Fintan McCarthy looked very impressive today in winning Gold in the Lightweight Double Sculls. And huge competition to get a seat in the boat.

High hopes for that event in Tokyo. A lot can change in 11 months but they looked the part today.

Strazdas · 31-08-2019 9:45pm

Skid X wrote: »

Paul O'Donovan and Fintan McCarthy looked very impressive today in winning Gold in the Lightweight Double Sculls. And huge competition to get a seat in the boat.

High hopes for that event in Tokyo. A lot can change in 11 months but they looked the part today.

Yes, won the semi and won the final convincingly.....big medal contenders, especially when you look at Paul's consistency

Strazdas · 01-09-2019 1:37pm

Great gold medal for Sanita Puspure......left it late enough but came powering through in the last 500m

catchup · 03-09-2019 12:05am

A Silver medal for the Men’s Open Weight Double Sculls of Ronan Byrne, Cork, and Philip Doyle, Banbridge, at the World Rowing Championships.
That’s 4 boats qualified for Tokyo and 3 of them on target for Gold! Exciting times.

finbarrk · 03-09-2019 8:51am

Whats the story with the boxing? Is it going to be on there I wonder?

Dodge · 03-09-2019 9:20am

Yes. European qualifying tournament in London in March. Final chance at a world qualifier in Paris in May

8 men’s weights. 5 women’s weights. We should have a strong team with 7-9 qualifiers not too optimistic

Strazdas · 03-09-2019 1:48pm

Dodge wrote: »

Yes. European qualifying tournament in London in March. Final chance at a world qualifier in Paris in May

8 men’s weights. 5 women’s weights. We should have a strong team with 7-9 qualifiers not too optimistic

Bernard Dunne seems to be doing a great job. A new women's European champion (Aoife O'Rourke) alongside Kelly Harrington's world title tells us there is a lot of good stuff going on in Team Ireland.

Road to Tokyo 2020 - Irish Olympic News

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