Northern Ireland at the 2018 Commonwealth Games facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Northern Ireland at the 2018 Commonwealth Games
Flag of Northern Ireland
CGF code	NIR
CGA	Northern Ireland Commonwealth Games Council
in Gold Coast, Australia 4 April 2018 – 15 April 2018
Competitors	90 in 13 sports
Flag bearer	Caroline O’Hanlon (opening)
Medals Ranked 20th	Gold Silver Bronze Total 1 7 4 12
Commonwealth Games appearances (overview)
Template:Infobox country at games/Commonwealth

Northern Ireland sent a team to compete in the 2018 Commonwealth Games. These exciting games took place in the Gold Coast, Australia. Athletes from Northern Ireland participated from April 4 to April 15, 2018.

Initially, Northern Ireland planned to send 88 athletes. However, the final team had 90 amazing competitors! They took part in 13 different sports.

Caroline O’Hanlon, a talented netball player, had the special honor of carrying Northern Ireland's flag. She led the team during the big opening ceremony of the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

Medals Won by Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland's athletes worked incredibly hard and won a total of 12 medals! This included one gold medal, seven silver medals, and four bronze medals. They finished in 20th place overall among all the countries competing.

Here's a list of the athletes who won medals:

Medal	Name	Sport	Event	Date
1 Gold	McClenaghan, RhysRhys McClenaghan	Gymnastics	Men's Pommel horse	April 8
2 Silver	Barr, KirstyKirsty Barr	Shooting	Women's Trap	April 13
2 Silver	Irvine, BrendanBrendan Irvine	Boxing	Men's −52 kg	April 14
2 Silver	Walker, KurtKurt Walker	Boxing	Men's −56 kg	April 14
2 Silver	Walsh, AidanAidan Walsh	Boxing	Men's −69 kg	April 14
2 Silver	O'Hara, KristinaKristina O'Hara	Boxing	Women's −48 kg	April 14
2 Silver	McNaul, CarlyCarly McNaul	Boxing	Women's −51 kg	April 14
2 Silver	Walsh, MichaelaMichaela Walsh	Boxing	Women's −57 kg	April 14
3 Bronze	McAuley, GarethGareth McAuley	Shooting	Men's Skeet	April 9
3 Bronze	Reid, LeonLeon Reid	Athletics	Men's 200 m	April 12
3 Bronze	McGivern, JamesJames McGivern	Boxing	Men's −60 kg	April 14
3 Bronze	Donnelly, StevenSteven Donnelly	Boxing	Men's −75 kg	April 14

Northern Ireland's Team by Sport

A total of 90 athletes represented Northern Ireland at the games. Here's how many competed in each sport:

Sports Highlights

Northern Ireland had athletes competing in many different sports. Here are some of the highlights:

Athletics Performances

Athletics included track and field events. Northern Ireland sent 13 athletes (8 men, 5 women).

• Leon Reid won a bronze medal in the Men's 200 meters race.
• Kevin Seaward finished 4th in the Men's Marathon, a very strong performance.
• Dempsey McGuigan placed 6th in the Men's Hammer Throw.

Badminton Competitors

Three badminton players (1 man, 2 women) represented Northern Ireland. They competed in singles and doubles matches.

Boxing Success

Boxing was a very successful sport for Northern Ireland. The team had 12 boxers (8 men, 4 women).

• Brendan Irvine, Kurt Walker, Aidan Walsh, Kristina O'Hara, Carly McNaul, and Michaela Walsh all won silver medals!
• James McGivern and Steven Donnelly each earned a bronze medal.

Cycling Races

Northern Ireland's cycling team had 8 athletes (5 men, 3 women). They competed in road races, time trials, and track cycling events.

• Mark Downey had a strong 4th place finish in the Men's Road Race.
• Cameron Orr finished 8th in the Men's Cross-country mountain bike event.

Gymnastics Achievements

Two male gymnasts represented Northern Ireland in Artistic Gymnastics.

• Rhys McClenaghan won the only gold medal for Northern Ireland in the Men's Pommel Horse event. This was a fantastic achievement!

Lawn Bowls Matches

A team of 10 athletes (5 men, 5 women) competed in Lawn bowls. They played in singles, pairs, triples, and fours events.

Netball Team's Journey

The Northern Ireland national netball team qualified for the games because they were ranked among the top teams in the world. This was their second time at the Commonwealth Games.

• Team captain Caroline O'Hanlon was the flag bearer for Northern Ireland.
• The team finished in eighth place after a tough competition.

Shooting Accuracy

Northern Ireland had 8 athletes (6 men, 2 women) in shooting events.

• Kirsty Barr won a silver medal in the Women's Trap event.
• Gareth McAuley earned a bronze medal in the Men's Skeet event.

Swimming Races

Nine swimmers (8 men, 1 woman) represented Northern Ireland in swimming.

• Conor Ferguson had a strong performance, finishing 5th in the Men's 50 meter backstroke final.
• Barry McClements placed 7th in the Men's 100 meter freestyle S9 event.
• Danielle Hill reached the final in the Women's 50 meter freestyle, finishing 8th.

Table Tennis Matches

Four male athletes competed for Northern Ireland in table tennis. They played in singles, doubles, and team events.

Triathlon Challenges

Three male athletes competed in triathlon, which combines swimming, cycling, and running.

• Russell White finished 14th in the Men's individual triathlon.
• David Kerr competed in the Men's PTWC (Paratriathlon) event, finishing 6th.

Weightlifting Strength

Northern Ireland sent 5 athletes (3 men, 2 women) to compete in weightlifting.

• Emma McQuiad had a great performance, finishing 4th in the Women's −63 kg category.

Wrestling Competition

One female athlete represented Northern Ireland in wrestling.

• Sarah McDaid competed in the Women's freestyle -57 kg event, finishing 5th.