Shorten and Doyle go for gold on day six in Paris – all you need to know
With athletes from Northern Ireland having already accounted for three gold medals at the Paris Olympics, rowers Philip Doyle and Rebecca Shorten will try to add to that tally on Thursday.
As recently as Tuesday morning, athletes from Northern Ireland had accounted for three gold medals in the history of the Olympic Games.
In the space of around 16 hours, Daniel Wiffen, Jack McMillan and Hannah Scott doubled that tally.
Incredibly there could still be so much more to come.
Indeed, having waited 36 years to top a podium, Thursday could bring a third consecutive day when an athlete from Northern Ireland wins gold.
The first opportunity comes through Banbridge rower Philip Doyle who, along with Daire Lynch, is in the final of the men’s double sculls at 10:30 BST.
The Team Ireland pair, who were bronze medallists at the 2023 World Championships, won their semi-final in an impressive time of 6:13.14.
Less than half an hour later, at 10:50 BST, Belfast’s Rebecca Shorten, along with Helen Glover, Esme Booth and Sam Redgrave, will be aiming to bring Great Britain another rowing medal in the women’s four final.
While all eyes will be on the Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium on Thursday morning, there will be plenty going on elsewhere on day six of the Paris Games.
Among the biggest stars on show will be the men’s golfers with their four-round, strokeplay competition teeing off at Le Golf National, the 2018 Ryder Cup venue.
Rory McIlroy, in his first action since missing the Open cut at Royal Troon, has spoken about his desire to medal after coming fourth in Tokyo three years ago and will tee off at 09:11 BST in a group with world number one Scottie Scheffler of America and Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg.
McIlroy’s Irish team-mate Shane Lowry is out at 10.44 BST with Byeong Hun An of South Korea and Canadian Nick Taylor.
In equestrian, the team jumping event also begins on Thursday (10:00 BST) with Daniel Coyle joining Shane Sweetnam and Cian O’Connor on the Irish team in Versailles.
Huge day in hockey pool stages
In hockey, Team GB, captained by David Ames from Northern Ireland, will face hosts France at 11:45 BST knowing that victory could see them into the quarter-finals with one game to spare.
Having lost their previous three contests, Ireland, however, will be out should they suffer another reverse to Argentina at 12:15 BST.
With six of the Irish boxing team already beaten, Olympic debutant Daina Moorehouse takes to the ring at 19:00 BST to face Wassila Lkhadiri of the host nation.
The 22-year-old flyweight from Bray received a bye in the last-32.
