Joe Ward is a big Irish medal hope and he steps into the Rio ring for the first time on Day 5 of these Olympic Games.
He’s just one of Ireland’s athletes in action on Wednesday - check out our comprehensive guide to what’s happening and where.
Rowing, Sinéad Lynch and Claire Lambe (Cancelled today due to windy conditions)
Lynch and Lambe have cruised into the semi-final stage and no doubt seeing their team mate Sunita Puspure missing out on qualification from her quarter-final on Tuesday will have given them an added spur. However weather has again played havoc with the schedule, windy conditions meaning today's racing has now been cancelled.
Rowing Paul O’Donovan and Gary O’Donovan (Cancelled today due to windy conditions)
The Cork brothers are, in their own words, having the craic in Brazil. They have a laid-back attitude, but when they’re on the water they’re all business. They have a great shot at making it out of this semi-final and into the medal race. That won't happen today though as now racing has been cancelled. No day or time has been released yet for the rescheduled semis.
1705, Sailing, Finn Lynch
Lynch is the youngest helmsman ever to represent Ireland at the Games and his Olympic dream was nearly wrecked by a dislocated shoulder last year. He had an up and down day in Rio on Tuesday - a 15th place finish follow by a 40th and overall the 20-year-old lies 24th of 46.
1715, Sailing, Annalise Murphy
Fourth and seventh placed finishes in Tuesday’s two races sees Murphy in second place overall. The conditions seem to be suiting her on Guanabara Bay and with consistency the key she’ll be hoping for two more solid performances on Wednesday to keep herself in the medal fight.
1747, Swimming, Fiona Doyle
Doyle swam fast in her 100m heat last week, but didn’t manage to qualify. She was reduced to tears and it’s hard not to see why - had eventual silver medalist Yulia Efimova not been in the competition, and she has an extremely murky doping past, Doyle would have advanced. She has a chance to right that wrong in the 200m breaststroke on Wednesday.
2315, Boxing, Joe Ward
Boxing is Ireland’s leading medal hope, but so far the Games haven’t been kind to our fighters. It started with Michael O’Reilly’s positive drugs test and then early exits by David Oliver Joyce and Paddy Barnes followed. Joe Ward is next into the ring and he is a genuine contender.
His route is blocked on Wednesday by Ecuadorian Andres Carles Mina, who had a comfortable win over German opposition in his first round fight.
IRISH TIMES
BOXING
2315: Joe Ward, Men’s 81kg (light heavyweight), v Andres Carles Mina (Ecuador), Round 2
SAILING
1705: Finn Lynch, Men’s Laser Class, Race 5 & 6
1715: Annalise Murphy, Women’s Laser Radial, Race 5 & 6
SWIMMING
1747: Fiona Doyle, Women’s 200m Breaststroke, Heat
