Start every morning with The 42′s definitive guide to all the day’s action: when you need to be in front of the TV, who are Ireland’s medal hopefuls, and what other big stories should you look out for.
IT’S DAY 15 — the penultimate day of the 2024 Olympic Games.
What a whirlwind it has been, but it’s not over yet. The final day of track and field athletics action at the Stade de France lies ahead, with all Irish eyes on the 4x400m Relay Final shortly after 8pm.
Rhasidat Adeleke returns after her fourth-place finish in the 400m last night, where another medal proved elusive for Team Ireland. Can their record haul of seven be added to over the final two days?
Here’s a look at Saturday’s schedule:
Which Irish athletes are competing — and when can I watch them?
Golf: Leona Maguire and Stephanie Meadow are in action in the final round of the Women’s Singles at Le Golf National. After a disappointing tournament to date, both are just playing for pride.
Maguire tees off at 9.11am alongside Ines Laklalech (Morocco) and Ursula Wikstrom (Finland), while Meadow follows suit with Emily Pedersen (Denmark) and Charley Hull (Great Britain) at 9.22am.
Athletics: The Women’s 4x400m Relay final rounds out the track action at 8.14pm.
The Irish team is yet to be confirmed, but Adeleke has confirmed that she will run. Sophie Becker, Phil Healy, Kelly McGrory and Sharlene Mawdsley lined out for the heats, while Rachel McCann is the other squad member.
Team Ireland medal watch
Just one Irish medal opportunity today: the Women’s 4x400m Relay. Becker, Healy, McGrory and Mawdsley produced a stunning third-place finish in their heat yesterday, and Adeleke’s availability comes as a major boost.
She’s expected to replace McGrory as Ireland take to Lane 4.
“It’s another opportunity to get out here and give it my all,” Adeleke said last night. Other big guns will return alongside the 21-year-old Dubliner.
USA qualified fastest in 3:21.44 — Ireland clocked 3:25.05 — and the final is full of heavyweights: Netherlands, Great Britain, Jamaica, France, Belgium and Canada.
Do not miss…
Apart from the above, of course, the men’s basketball final between USA and France is at 8.30pm. A star-studded US side including LeBron James and Steph Curry survived a Serbia scare in the semi-final to keep their bid for a fifth straight gold medal alive. Standing in their way are France, in a repeat of the Tokyo 2020 showpiece. The favourites versus the hosts, this should be electric.
Elsewhere, USA and Brazil face off in the women’s football final at 4pm at Parc des Princes. Will Emma Hayes enjoy the dream start to life as US manager with a first major trophy at the first attempt, or will it be a fairytale farewell for Brazil legend Marta?
As always, there’s so much more on, starting with the men’s marathon at 7am.
Listen to our new podcast, Olympics Daily with Cooney and O’Carroll…
Episode 17:
Good chance of a medal with Adeleke coming in.