Eoin Delany was selected as a crew member of the Irish Dragon class Three-Person Keelboat Alphida at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games alongside Harry Byrne and Robin Hennessy, having been part of one of the most promising Irish sailing combinations of the era. The crew had earned their Olympic selection by winning the Duke of Edinburgh Cup in Belfast Lough in 1971 and the English-Speaking Union Dragon Trophy at Torquay in 1972, before finishing fifth of 72 Dragons at the International Gold Cup in Copenhagen – a result that saw them heralded as potential medal contenders.

The sailing events at Munich were held at Kiel, where Delaney fell seriously ill and was obliged to stand down before the competition began and was flown home to Ireland. He was replaced by Joe McMenamin, the boat’s owner.