Olympic fever is kicking in and there is cause for Irish optimism with a strong selection of elite athletes looking to add to the nation's medal haul in Paris.
The 2020 edition in Tokyo - which took place in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic - saw Ireland land a haul of four medals, with two golds and two bronzes secured in dramatic fashion.
Gold medallists Kellie Harrington and rowing duo Paul O'Donovan and Fintan McCarthy will attract great attention as they look to add to their respective medal tallies this summer.
The emergence of talents like gymnast Rhys McClenaghan and swimmer Daniel Wiffen has added further cause for optimism.
Team Ireland's record haul is six, from the London Olympics back in 2012 when Katie Taylor truly announced herself on that stage.
However, they could be in line to beat that tally with statisticians predicting that Ireland could set a new record in the French capital later this year.
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Ireland predicted to break Olympics medal record
It could be a summer to remember with reputable sports data analysts The Gracenote Virtual Medal Table anticipating that Team Ireland will land a record haul of seven medals at the 2024 Olympics, the Irish Times have reported.
Gracenote - who have collated data from the major events since 2021 - is predicting that the men's double lightweight sculls gold will again go the way of O'Donovan and McCarthy, just as it did in Tokyo.
However, they expect that boxer Harrington will have to settle for silver when she competes in the women's lightweight class.
McClenaghan, who last year retained his world championship in the pommel horse, has been touted to win a maiden Olympic gold medal.
15 April 2023; Rhys McClenaghan of Ireland with his gold medal after winning the Men's Pommel Horse Final during the 2023 European Artistic Gymnastics Championships at Antalya Spor Salonu in Antalya, Türkiye. Photo by Filippo Tomasi /Sportsfile
Meanwhile, European record-breaking swimmer Wiffen is tipped for two medals with silver in the 800m freestyle and bronze in the 1500m freestyle.
Gracenote also anticipates that Cian O'Connor, who won bronze in equestrian over a decade ago in London, could go one better this time around.
Team Ireland looks set to have some major golf stars in its colours and it is Rory McIlroy who has been backed to land bronze for the first time in his decorated career.
It makes for positive pre-tournament reading from an Irish perspective with household names like Ciara Mageean capable of adding to that tally.
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