Ireland’s Olympic sailing team gathered in Dublin yesterday ahead of their departure for Brazil and to give a push to the Irish Sailing Association’s ‘Try Sailing’ campaign, a new initative to attract newcomers to the sport.
Competing in four disciplines, the six-person squad representing Ireland includes both veterans and first-timers at an Olympic regatta.
Join us tomorrow for an exclusive interview with Irish Sailing Performance director James O’Callaghan on what it takes to get the team to Rio…
“This is an incredibly exciting moment for all us. Rio is probably the most unique venue for an Olympic regatta as it has seven different course areas, each marked differently to the other,” said Annalise Murphy, who came agonisingly close to a medal at the London 2012 Games.
“All of us have spent months training there, getting to know the place on and off the water so we feel very comfortable and at home.”
The sailors include Murphy competing in the women’s Laser Radial and Finn Lynch, who at 20 is the youngest ever Irish helm, in the counterpart men’s Laser. Duo Ryan Seaton and Matt McGovern will compete in the men’s 49er and Andrea Brewster with Saskia Tidey in the women’s 49erFX.
Murphy is first into action on Monday 8th August in the women’s single-handed event in which she placed fourth at London 2012 to deliver the best Irish performance in thirty years.
Lynch competes on the same day and will be the youngest competitor in his event in a fleet of 46 sailors. Both men and women are scheduled to sail two 50-minute races each on each day of competition.
Seaton and McGovern, who competed in London 2012, will be aiming to capitalise on their podium places in the build-up to Rio. Within the 49er skiff class, they have beaten every other competitor and will seek to defeat the four-times world champions from New Zealand. Brewster and Tidey were a relatively late campaign but have made rapid progress in the 49erFX skiff overcoming a three-month injury break earlier this year to qualify for Rio.
“Our sailors are about to realise a lifetime ambition and the high-point of four years of intense work,” commented James O’Callaghan, ISA Performance Director. “The six sailors represent another 100 young athletes on our Performance Pathway as well as thousands of sailors around our coast who have given them massive support and encouragement.”
The sailors are in Dublin to support the Irish Sailing Association’s ‘Try Sailing’ campaign, a new initative to attract newcomers to the sport. A network of 70 clubs and centres around Ireland are involved in providing taster events for both competitive and general boating activities.
Image Credit: Dan Sheridan / Inpho.ie
