Ireland competed at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, United States.

Medalists

Ireland won three gold and one bronze medal at the 1996 Olympics, the highest number ever, and was placed 28th in the medals table. Sonia O'Sullivan, who was seen as the best medal chance prior to the competition, did not win a medal. Two years after the Atlanta Games, FINA banned Smith for four years. Although she was banned for tampering with her urine sample using alcohol, the testers also found traces of a metabolic precursor of testosterone, Androstenedione. However Smith passed all tests at the 1996 Olympics.

Gold

• Michelle Smith — Swimming, Women's 400 metres Freestyle
• Michelle Smith — Swimming, Women's 200 metres Individual Medley
• Michelle Smith — Swimming, Women's 400 metres Individual Medley

Bronze

• Michelle Smith — Swimming, Women's 200 metres Butterfly

Results by event

Archery

Ireland again sent only one archer to the Olympics. Keith Hanlon won his first match, but was defeated in the second round.

Men's Individual Competition:

• Keith Hanlon — Round of 32, 22nd place (1-1)

Athletics

Men's 5.000 metres

• Cormac Finnerty

* Qualification — 13:54.01

* Semifinal — 14:08.88 (→ did not advance)

Men's 400m Hurdles

• Tom McGuirk

* Heat — 50.76s (→ did not advance)

Men's Discus Throw

• Nick Sweeney

* Qualification — 62.04m (→ did not advance)

Men's Hammer Throw

• Roman Linscheid

* Qualification — 68.14m (→ did not advance)

Women's 1,500 metres

• Sinéad Delahunty
• Sonia O'Sullivan

Women's 5,000 metres

• Sonia O'Sullivan
• Katy McCandless
• Marie Davenport

Women's 10,000 metres

• Catherina McKiernan

* Qualification — 32:32.10

* Final — 32:00.38 (→ 11th place)

Women's 400m Hurdles

• Susan Smith

* Qualification — 55.22

* Semifinals — 54.93 (→ did not advance)

Women's 10km Walk

• Deirdre Gallagher — 45:47 (→ 23nd place)

Boxing

Men's Flyweight (– 51 kg)

• Damaen Kelly

* First Round — Defeated Yuliyan Strogov (Bulgaria), 12-11

* Second Round — Defeated Hussein Hussein (Australia), 27-20

* Quarter Finals — Lost to Bulat Jumadilov (Kazakhstan), 6-13

Men's Light Welterweight (– 63,5 kg)

• Francis Barrett

* First Round — Defeated Zely Ferreria (Brazil), 32-7

* Second Round — Lost to Fethi Missaoui (Tunisia), 6-18

Men's Middleweight (– 75 kg)

• Brian Magee

* First Round — Defeated Randall Thompson (Canada), 13-5

* Second Round — Defeated Bertrand Tetsia (Cameroon), 11-6

* Quarter Finals — Lost to Mohamed Bahari (Algeria), 9-15

Men's Heavyweight (– 91 kg)

• Cathal O'Grady

* First Round — Lost to Garth da Silva (New Zealand), referee stopped contest in first round

Cycling

Track Competition

Men's Points Race

• Declan Lonergan

* Final — 0 points (→ 22nd place)

Mountain Bike

Men's Cross Country

• Martin Earley

* Final — 2:43:56 (→ 25th place)

• Alastair Martin

* Final — 2:47:46 (→ 32nd place)

Swimming

Men's 50m Freestyle

• Nicholas O'Hare

* Heat – 24.03 (→ did not advance, 48th and last place)

Men's 100m Freestyle

• Earl McCarthy

* Heat – 50.99 (→ did not advance, 27th place)

Men's 200m Freestyle

• Earl McCarthy

* Heat – 1:53.67 (→ did not advance, 29th place)

Men's 100m Backstroke

• Adrian O'Connor

* Heat – 58.56 (→ did not advance, 45th place)

Men's 200m Backstroke

• Adrian O'Connor

* Heat – 2:08.90 (→ did not advance, 35th place)

Women's 200m Freestyle

• Marion Madine

* Heat – 2:04.92 (→ did not advance, 27th place)

Women's 400m Freestyle

• Michelle Smith

* Heat – 4:09.00

* Final – 4:07.25 (→ Gold Medal)

Women's 100m Butterfly

• Marion Madine

* Heat – 1:03.80 (→ did not advance, 31st place)

Women's 200m Butterfly

• Michelle Smith

* Heat – 2:10.03

* Final – 2:09.91 (→ Bronze Medal)

Women's 200m Individual Medley

• Michelle Smith

* Heat – 2:16.35

* Final – 2:13.93 (→ Gold Medal)

Women's 400m Individual Medley

• Michelle Smith

* Heat – 4:43.79

* Final – 4:39.18 (→ Gold Medal)

References

• sports-reference