Jack Woolley has claimed Ireland's first medal at the 2023 European Games, taking silver for Taekwondo in Poland.
Having earned a tilt at gold, Woolley lost this evening's final to Spain's Adrián Vicente Yunta. Woolley won the first round 13-11, was edged out 5-3 in the second before the Spaniard took the decider on a score of 14-11.
Woolley had earlier secured a medal with his quarter-final win over GB's Mohammed Nour. Then he booked his spot in the final and a guaranteed silver with a semi-final victory over Italy's Matias Lomartire.
Afterwards, the Dubliner said it was "amazing" to take a spot on the podium, though admitted to mixed feelings that he couldn't take gold.
"It feels amazing to come away with a medal. It's something (where) you walk you wake up in the morning and say 'I want to be on that podium.'
"But you want to be in that top spot. I don't want to just see the flag behind me. I want to hear the national anthem. Unfortunately I haven't heard that just yet because you get them at major championships. I've silver medals at Europeans from other years. But today was really positive. It was a step up on past performances over the last while.
#TeamIreland's first medal at the European Games!!!
— Team Ireland (@TeamIreland) June 23, 2023
Jack Woolley reacts to winning silver in the Men’s 58kg event in Taekwondo 🥋 #EG2023 pic.twitter.com/RLsG1QDgAS
"It's good to show a better representation of myself. And show the Irish public all the people back home and all the people that support me what Jack Woolley is actually made of."
In the pool this evening, Ciara McGing placed sixth in 10m women's platform final, amassing a points tally of 280.10. The gold was taken home by Britain's Eden Vivian Ho-chi Cheng.
McGing also secured her highest ever European ranking, having finished ninth last time out at the 2022 European Championships.
Speaking after the final, she said, "I'm feeling really good, it was a really good steady performance again, better than this morning and to be honest with you, what I needed out of this competition was a confidence boost, I haven’t had the best season, so I just needed to put something down on the map and put myself in a good place’.
Next up for McGing is the World Championships in July in Japan, where 12 Paris 2024 places are on offer in the Platform event.
DIVING
— Team Ireland (@TeamIreland) June 23, 2023
Fantastic 6th for Ciara McGing in the Platform Final, her highest ever European ranking!
Ciara closed her European Games with 280.10 points & a confidence boost heading into next months World Champs where 12 Paris 2024 places are available.#TeamIreland | #EG2023 pic.twitter.com/jNLV1cA5DK
Clare Cryan and Jake Passmore also finished sixth in their final in the Mixed 3m synchronised diving final.
Earlier on Day 4, Kellie Harrington won her lightweight bout against Miroslava Jedinakova of Slovakia, receiving the nod from four of the five judges.
Sligo's Dean Clancy, European U22 champion, won comfortably against Austria's Arsen Chabyan, being scored as the victor by all five judges.
Clancy, like Harrington, needs to reach the semis to guarantee a slot at the Paris Games next summer.
Despite a strong start, Jude Gallagher was edged out in his first round bout by Bulgarian opponent Javier Ibanez Diaz, a European bronze medallist from 2022.
In Canoe Sprint, Jenny Egan-Simmons placed ninth in her semi-final to take 21st overall.
