Forget stories about undersold tickets and hazardous water in the swimming pools, the most fascinating subplot currently bubbling under at the Rio Olympics is the back-and-forth currently devoloping between Rory McIlroy and the Irish Olympic boxing team.
Boxers Paddy Barnes and Michael Conlan have rather unceremoniously been ripping the piss out of McIlroy for his decision to pull out of the Irish Golfing team ahead of the Rio games after citing concerns related to the Zika virus, with Barnes' twitter feed in particular being particularly hilarious.
The boxing hopeful, and one of Ireland's chief medal prospects, has posted selfies with the likes of Serena Williams, Rickie Fowler and Rafael Nadal among others and can't resist a sly dig at McIlroy whenever the opportunity presents itself.
@McIlroyRory you should have came mate, they had this bed set up for you and everything! #RioOlympics pic.twitter.com/vAMAmLgvQh
— Paddy Barnes OLY (@paddyb_ireland) July 30, 2016
In fact, you'd hope that Barnes has a decent data plan for all the tweeting he is doing from the Olympic village. Yesterday he took aim at McIlroy once again, posting a selfie of him and McIlroy's former fiancee Caroline Wozniacki hanging out in the Olympic village and tagged the golfer in the picture.
McIlroy responded in kind last night.
.@paddyb_ireland @mickconlan11 good luck lads! If your boxing is as good as your tweeting it should be 2 guaranteed golds!! 😂🏅🏅👏🏼
— Rory McIlroy (@McIlroyRory) August 7, 2016
Somehow we don't think we have seen the end of this just yet. Game on.
*EDIT*
Michael Conlan has presumably just woken up in Rio and seen what we can only imagine are several hundred notifications on his phone following McIlroy's tweet last night. Conlan responded in kind.
Paddy Barnes has now also chimed in too.
Brilliant 😂 good to see you got a sense of humour Rory, we're all friends here 😘😂😂 #TeamZika 🐜🐜 https://t.co/85Vz8YlrkU
— Michael Conlan (@mickconlan11) August 7, 2016
Haha brilliant! Thanks 👍👊 https://t.co/XAxrKSN9dE
— Paddy Barnes OLY (@paddyb_ireland) August 7, 2016
