Canoeing Ireland has had a winning weekend at the Canoe Slalom World Championships with two boats qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Kildare’s Robert Hendrick qualified a quota spot for Team Ireland on Friday. Competing in the Men’s C1 event, the 25-year-old from Clane finished 16th in the semi-finals. With twelve Olympic quota places available, and each nation only eligible to qualify for one spot, Hendrick’s finish secured ninth nation across the line.
Tokyo Olympian Liam Jegou finished thirtieth in the same event. This result ensures that Ireland will be represented at the Paris Olympics next summer in Canoe Slalom, with the final selection race to name the athlete who will compete will be next summer.
Then 24 hours later Hendrick’s twin brother Noel secured Ireland’s second Olympic quota place.
Under enormous pressure Noel delivered his best ever World Championships performance to finish in 16th place, inside the 15 nation cut off to secure a Olympic spot in the K1M for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
This landmark performance ends Ireland drought in the K1M, with the last Irish representative being Eoin Rheinisch in London 2012.
Rheinisch was the coach with the Men’s team at the World Championships at the Lee Valley White Rafting Centre in London.
