Irish & International Sports News, Fixtures & Results

Financial problems are threatening the Games, according to the Rio authorities

Rio authorities declare 'state of public calamity'

The Rio de Janeiro state government has declared a 'state of public calamity', saying emergency financial measures must be undertaken in order for the Olympic Games to go ahead as planned.

Paris 2024 • 18 Jun 16

Seb Coe will face the media today following further corruption revelations made in a television documentary

Coe faces tough questions about fresh corruption

The International Association of Athletics Federations will today announce if Russia will be allowed to compete at the Rio Olympics, but the governing body's president Seb Coe could have other questions to answer following fresh corruption allegations.

Paris 2024 • 17 Jun 16

McCurley will be the first female track cyclist to represent Ireland at an Olympic Games

Cyclist has made a longer journey than most

The first time Shannon McCurley put on her Irish team kit and competed for Ireland she had never even set foot in the country.

Paris 2024 • 01 Jun 16

BMX Rio race heats up for Kelvin

Ireland’s Elite BMX rider Kelvin Batey is aiming to secure Olympic qualification this weekend at the UCI BMX World Championships in Medellin, Colombia.

Cycling • 28 May 16

Puspure delivered a storming second 1,000m in Lucerne

Puspure qualifies for Rio after Swiss second place

Rower Sanita Puspure has become the latest addition to Ireland's Olympic team after a superb performance in the final qualifying regatta in Switzerland.

Rowing • 24 May 16

Ciara Mageean at home in Portaferry with her puppy Rio

Ciara Mageean refuses to put cap on her ambitions

Following her first injury-free winter in as long as she can remember, Ciara Mageean believes she is only starting to scratch the surface of her potential.

Athletics • 24 May 16

Kevin Kilty at the recent event to mark the 100 day countdown to the Rio Olympics

Kevin Kilty on the task of organising Team Ireland

Organising the logistics for Ireland’s largest ever Olympic team is no small task, with as many as 80 athletes and 50 support staff due to travel to Rio.

Other sport • 17 May 16

Russia's Sergey Kirdyapkin was eventually disqualified for doping at London 2012, leading to Rob Heffernan being upgraded to bronze

Russia pleads with IAAF for Olympic participation

Russia's sports minister has apologised for the doping scandal that threatens his country's participation in this summer's Olympics and pleaded that the country's athletes be allowed compete at the Rio Games.

Athletics • 15 May 16

Darren O'Neill has a tough road ahead of him if he wants to get to Rio

VIDEO: Darren O'Neill speaks about his Rio hopes

Darren O’Neill has just one route left to make the Olympic Games in Rio later this year - and it will be a tough one for the Kilkenny heavyweight.

Boxing • 11 May 16

Monahan at the launch of the 2016 SSE Airtricity Dublin Marathon Series

Monahan hoping to push all the way to Rio Games

Wheelchair athlete Patrick Monahan recently started heading out around Mondello Park for training spins thinking it would be a good way of avoiding traffic - he was wrong.

Athletics • 11 May 16

Ciara Mageean's prodigious talent has been hampered by injury in recent seasons

Mageean feels stronger than ever ahead of Rio

After two years of hearing people talking behind her back about burn-out, Ciara Mageean is looking forward to pulling on an Irish vest again and getting back out on the track.

Athletics • 10 May 16

Ireland men's hockey team head coach Craig Fulton and goalkeeper David Harte

Irish forced to raise funds before Rio

Ireland's men's hockey team have embarked on a major fundraising drive to plug the €225,000 gap in their budget ahead of the Rio Olympic Games.

Hockey • 05 May 16

Ireland will be up against the best in the world at the Rio Olympics

Men's hockey team learn Olympic schedule

Ireland’s hockey team now know when they will be playing the strongest teams in the world following the release of the Rio Olympic Games fixture list.

Hockey • 27 Apr 16

Ireland's Olympic flag bearer Paddy Barnes with Olympic Council of Ireland President Pat Hickey (right)

Barnes: Carrying the flag as big as winning medal

Paddy Barnes says carrying the Irish flag at the Rio Olympic Games opening ceremony is as big to him as winning a medal.

Boxing • 27 Apr 16

Schwartzel has decided he will skip the Rio Olympics

Olympic golf tournament hit by another withdrawal

South Africa’s former Masters champion Charl Schwartzel has become the latest high-profile player to rule himself out of the Rio Olympics, following the lead of Louis Oosthuizen and Adam Scott.

Golf • 26 Apr 16

O'Reilly in action in Rio, where she secured herself a spot at the 2016 Olympic Games

School is first priority, then the Olympic Games

Eighteen-year-old Ellis O’Reilly is currently trying to combine the final few weeks of her schooling and preparation for the Rio Olympics.

Other sport • 27 Apr 16

Bertram Allen is good friends with Grand National winning jockey David Mullins

Allen keen to mirror Mullins' National success

Having watched his good friend David Mullins score an incredible Grand National win at Aintree a few weeks ago, Bertram Allen is more determined than ever to win gold for Ireland in the Rio Olympic showjumping arena.

Equestrian • 20 Apr 16

Arthur Lanigan O’Keeffe poses with his fencing épée at the modern pentathlon facility at the National Sports Campus in Abbostown, County Dublin

Arthur Lanigan O'Keeffe - the Modern Gentleman

In 2012 Arthur Lanigan O’Keeffe was very much an accidental Olympian - this time he will travel to Rio with gold on his mind.

Other sport • 19 Apr 16

McIlroy gets ready to accept the Wanamaker Trophy after his 2012 USPGA triumph

McGinley believes Olympic course will suit Irish

Paul McGinley believes that the Olympic golf course is very similar to Kiawah Island - the venue for Rory McIlroy’s 2012 US PGA triumph, giving cause for medal hopes ahead of the Rio Games in August.

Golf • 28 Mar 16

"I’m going there to be Olympic champion - that’s my ambition" - Joe Ward

Joe Ward on qualification, gold medals and family

Joe Ward says the pain of missing out on the London 2012 Olympic Games lived with him for nearly four years, but now that he has qualification for Rio 2016 in the bag he is concentrating on winning gold.

Paris 2024 • 25 Mar 16

Paul McGinley: 'We are tested on the European Tour and the PGA Tour and at the Olympics we will be tested by WADA before and during.'

McGinley: Rio will prove golf has no drug cheats

Irish Olympic golf Team Leader Paul McGinley is confident that his sport hasn’t got a drugs problem - and that this will be proven at the Rio Games.

Golf • 09 Mar 16

Michael Conlan expects to add an Olympic gold to his impressive medal haul

Pros no problem for confident Michael Conlan

World champion Michael Conlan says the presence of professional fighters at the Rio Olympics won’t stop him picking up a gold medal.

Boxing • 08 Mar 16

Lennox Lewis (C) won gold for Canada at the 1988 Olympics

Lewis slams 'preposterous' Olympic proposals

Former World and Olympic champion Lennox Lewis has branded a proposal to allow professional boxers to compete at the Olympics "preposterous".

Boxing • 28 Feb 16

Rob Heffernan: 'My performance in London was my best performance ever and that was due to the support I got from the crowd'

VIDEO: Heffernan won't celebrate bronze upgrade

Rob Heffernan is refusing to dwell on the heartache of his fourth-placed finish at London 2012 as he looks set to finally get the bronze medal he so agonisingly missed out on four years ago.

Athletics • 24 Feb 16

Grainne Murphy: 'I have always maintained that if I go to a major championship I want to be at the top of my game and in the mix'

VIDEO: Olympic swimmer Grainne Murphy retires

Irish Olympic swimmer Grainne Murphy has announced her retirement aged just 22, five months ahead of the Rio Games.

Swimming • 23 Feb 16

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