Tokyo 2020 Day 14: Irish in action and best of the rest

Natalya Coyle is joint third ahead of Friday’s final four events in modern pentathlon

Ireland’s Natalya Coyle after the ranking round of fencing in the modern pentathlon on Thursday. Photograph: Bryan Keane/Inpho
Ireland’s Natalya Coyle after the ranking round of fencing in the modern pentathlon on Thursday. Photograph: Bryan Keane/Inpho

Natalya Coyle made an impressive start in the modern pentathlon on Thursday and is in third overall ahead of the final four events on Friday. The two-time World Cup silver medallist will be eyeing a medal finish after finishing ninth in London 2012, and sixth in Rio.

The 30 year-old, competing in her third Olympic Games, gets started at 6.48am (Irish time) swimming the 200m freestyle, then at 7.45am she’ll have a bonus round of fencing before show jumping at 9.15am. The medals will be decided then at the final event - the individual laser run at 11.30am.

The third day of the women's individual strokeplay golf is underway at 11.30pm (Thursday) with a storm forecast for Saturday threatening to make it the final round. Stephanie Meadow and Leona Maguire each finished on four-under-par 138 and in tied-11th position after their second rounds in the sweltering heat at Kasumigaseki Country Club.

Shannon McCurley and Emily Kay compete in the women's madison final at 9.15am.

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Then at 11am, Bertram Allen, Shane Sweetnam and Darragh Kenny contest the team showjumping equestrian qualifier. Cian O'Connor had to withdraw from the Irish team after his horse Kilkenny suffered a nosebleed halfway through the individual final on Wednesday. Sweetnam and Alejandro replaced the duo.

Back-to-back European Cross Country champion in 2011-2012, Fionnuala McCormack competes in her fourth Olympics tonight at 11pm. Team Ireland are also represented by Eagle AC's Aoife Cooke.

To catch up on all of the Irish action from Day 13 you can read our round-up here.

What else is on?

American Allyson Felix is aiming to become the most-decorated female track and field athlete of all time by winning her 10th Olympic medal aged 35. She runs in the women's 400m final at 1.35am. The women's football final is at 3am, with Sweden taking on Canada, the latter defeated Team USA in the semi-final. The women's hockey final gets underway at 11am.

The women's beach volleyball final between USA and Australia takes place at 3.30am

Medal events: 23

Athletics (women’s 20km race walk, men’s 50km race walk, women’s javelin, men’s 5,000m, women’s 400m, women’s 1500m, women’s 4x100m relay, men’s 4x100m relay), beach volleyball (women), boxing (men’s heavy), cycling (women’s madison, men’s sprint), football (women), hockey (women), karate (men’s kata, women’s kumite -61kg, men’s kumite -75kg), modern pentathlon (women), sport climbing (women), table tennis (men’s team), wrestling (women’s freestyle 53kg, men’s freestyle 74kg, men’s freestyle 125kg).

Full Irish schedule for Friday, August 6th

0.52am Stephanie Meadow - Women’s individual stroke play round three.

1.47am Leona Maguire - Women's individual stroke play round three.

6.48am Natalya Coyle - Swimming 200m freestyle heat four

7.45am Natalya Coyle - Women’s individual fencing bonus round

9.15am Natalya Coyle - women’s individual riding show jumping

11.30am Natalya Coyle -Women’s individual laser run

9.15am Shannon McCurley and Emily Kay - Women's madison final

11am Bertram Allen, Shane Sweetnam and Darragh Kenny – Jumping Team Equestrian Qualifier

11pm Fionnuala McCormack – Women’s Marathon

11pm Aoife Cooke – Women's Marathon

Eamon Donoghue

Eamon Donoghue

Eamon Donoghue is a former Irish Times journalist