Claire Bergin
Athletics, Bobsleigh & Skeleton
BIOGRAPHY
Claire Bergin is the first woman to represent Ireland at both the Summer and Winter Olympics. She was a brakewoman in the two-woman bobsleigh at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, finishing 17th – becoming one of the first Irish women to compete in bobsleigh at an Olympic Games, alongside pilot Aoife Hoey.
Bergin was primarily a 400 metres sprinter, competing for DSD AC in Dublin. She took up bobsleigh in 2008 after being approached by Siobhan Hoey, who was looking to qualify Ireland’s first women’s sled to the Olympics. She had previously represented Ireland in athletics at the 2002 World Junior Championships in Jamaica, and at European and World Championships.
She was also a member of the Irish women’s 4x400m relay squad that qualified for the London 2012 Summer Olympics, having been part of the team that ran an Irish national record of 3:27.48 at the 2011 World Championships in Daegu – a record that still stands – though she did not race at the Games themselves.
She is a chartered accountant and went on to represent Ireland in tag rugby at the 2015 and 2018 World Cups.
OTHER ATHLETICS ATHLETES
ATHLETICS NEWS
Historic 4th place finish from Estella Volkoff in European Beam Final
Gymnastics Irish junior gymnast Estella Volkoff delivered a landmark performance at the 2026 European Junior Championships in Zagreb, finishing fourth in the balance beam final and making history as the first Irish gymnast ever to qualify for a top-eight European Championships beam final. Volkoff produced a superb routine in the final, narrowly missing out on [...]
Performance Round Up July 2026
Athletics LONDON DIAMOND LEAGUE Mark English delivered one of the finest performances of his career as he smashed his 800m personal best to finish second at the London Diamond League on Saturday. The Donegal athlete clocked a stunning 1:42.97, dipping below the 1:43 mark for the first time and becoming just the latest Irish athlete [...]
EVENTS COMING UP IN AUGUST
Athletics World U20 Championships, Eugene, Oregon: 5-9 August European Athletics Championships, Birmingham: 10-16 August Lausanne Diamond League: 20-21 August Silesia Diamond League: 23 August Zurich Diamond League: 27 August Boxing European U19 Championships, Loznica, Serbia: 11-22 August Boxing Ireland U23 Championships, 7-22 August Cycling UEC Mountain Bike European Championships, Monteceneri, Switzerland: 30 July [...]
Irish Sailing and Rugby Sevens Shine in Action-Packed Weekend
Sailing McMahon Claims Sailing Bronze in California Eve McMahon secured a superb bronze medal at the Sailing Grand Slam event in San Pedro, California, after a composed performance in the Final Series against some of the world's best Olympic sailors. Racing took place in ideal conditions inside the bay, with 10–13 knots of breeze providing [...]
Diamond League Podiums In London for Mark English & Sarah Healy
Irish athletics enjoyed another outstanding weekend on the international stage, with Mark English and Sarah Healy producing career-best performances at the London Diamond League, while Ireland’s next generation of stars claimed a remarkable medal haul at the European Athletics U18 Championships in Rieti, Italy. Athletics London Diamond League Mark English delivered one of the finest [...]
Performance Round Up – June 2026
Athletics Mark English finished second in a high-quality men’s 800m field at the Rome Diamond League. The Donegal athlete clocked a season’s best time of 1:43.80, his second fastest ever over the distance, as he closed strongly in the final metres to challenge for victory. Sarah Healy delivered a personal best time of 14:48.88 in [...]