ALL of Limerick was behind Emerald AC legend Sarah Lavin last Friday as she led Team Ireland down the Seine in Paris as the country’s flagbearer, alongside Offaly golfing sensation Shane Lowry.
With the exception of lonely Leitrim, every county is represented in Team Ireland at the Olympic Games 2024, up and running since the glorious opening ceremony last Friday.
Exactly 100 years ago, and also in Paris, Limerick’s John O’Grady, of Ballybricken, was the first person to carry the Irish Flag at the opening ceremony of an Olympic Games, a fitting twist of fortune for 2024 flagbearer Lavin.
O’Grady placed 17th in the shot put, throwing a distance of 12.75 metres. The Limerick man set the world record in the sport on nine different occasions. Today, a monument to O’Grady’s achievements stands on the Ballysimon Road, a familiar sight to many in the Treaty City.
The schedule has been confirmed for heroic hurdler Lavin. The 30 year old competes in the 100 hurdles heats on Wednesday morning next (August7) at 9.15am. If she comes through then a semi-final appearance is on the cards for the following Friday morning at 11.05am.
If the Noelle Morrissey-coached athlete were not to qualify from her heat, there is another chance through the repechage round (Thursday, 9.35am).
The final, which is the clear target for the Emerald AC speedster, is listed for Saturday August 10 at 6.45pm.
Cyréna Samba-Mayela (France) and Jasmine Camacho-Quinn (Puerto Rico) are joint favourites to win gold in the 100m hurdles, with Masai Russell (USA) also viewed as a strong contender.
Ahead of Lavin’s appearance, there is local interest through Sharlene Mawdsley in the Women’s 400m on Monday at 10.55am. The semi-finals and final are the following Wednesday and Friday, respectively, with the repechage round on Wednesday.
Mawdsley, along with Limerick-based Kelly McGrory (of Laghy, County Donegal), are part of both the women’s and mixed 4x400m relay teams.
The mixed starts this Friday (August 2), with the final the following evening.
The women’s commences on Friday week (August 9), with the final later the same day.
McGrory works for Irish Wheelchair Association Sport in Limerick and trains in the same group as her partner Thomas Barr (Waterford), who is part of the Irish mixed 4×400 relay squad.
All the track and field events are taking place in the iconic Stade de France.
