Terry McHugh
Athletics,Bobsleigh & Skeleton
BIOGRAPHY
Terry McHugh made history as one of very few Irish athletes to compete at both the Summer and Winter Olympic Games, appearing at six Olympics in total – four Summer Games as a javelin thrower (Seoul 1988, Barcelona 1992, Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000) and two Winter Games as a bobsleigh competitor (Albertville 1992 and Nagano 1998).
He won 21 consecutive Irish national javelin titles from 1984 to 2004 and remains the only Irish javelin thrower to exceed 80 metres, setting an Irish record of 82.75 metres.
At the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games he made history as the first Irish javelin thrower ever to compete at the Olympics and justified his selection spectacularly: his very first throw of 76.46 metres was a new Irish national record and 1.46 metres beyond the Olympic qualifying standard – the only occasion in Olympic competition that an Irish thrower from the modern era threw both a personal best and a national record in the same competition.
Across the Winter Olympics, McHugh competed in both the 2 and 4 man bobsleigh and was Opening Ceremony Flagbearer for the 1998 Olympic Games.
He subsequently became the Swiss national javelin coach and director of the Lucerne Athletics Meet, one of the leading meetings on the European circuit.
OTHER SNOWSPORTS ATHLETES
SNOWSPORTS NEWS
WINTER OLYMPICS DEBUTANT BEN LYNCH REFLECTS ON HIS HISTORIC HALFPIPE PERFORMANCE
As he said himself it was as if the stars aligned under the Friday night lights in Livigno when Ben Lynch became the first Irish skier ever to make an Olympic final (Halfpipe) taking 8th place overall; his lucky number! Overcoming the natural nerves of his first Olympic run (which Lynch landed safely), meant [...]
Ireland’s Winter Olympians Celebrated at Homecoming Ceremony
Ireland’s four Olympians from the Milano Cortina Games have been formally welcomed home with a reception in Dublin city centre. Freestyle skier Ben Lynch, alpine skiers Cormac Comerford and Anabelle Zurbay, and cross-country skier Thomas Maloney Westgård were recognised for their performances and their contribution to Team Ireland’s Winter Olympic campaign at the Department of [...]
BEN LYNCH IS NAMED AS TEAM IRELAND FLAGBEARER
The Olympic Federation of Ireland is delighted to announce that Ben Lynch, Irish freestyle skier, will serve as Team Ireland’s flagbearer at the Closing Ceremony of the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Verona tonight. Lynch capped off a standout Games for Ireland with a historic performance that saw him become the first Irish [...]
MALONEY WESTGÅRD SHOWS GRIT IN GRUELLING 50KM FINALE
Day Fifteen – Team Ireland at Milano Cortina ‘26 Thomas Maloney Westgård rounded out Team Ireland’s performance at the Winter Olympic Games in Milano Cortina 2026, finishing 23rd in a brutally competitive race in Predazzo, competing in the Cross-Country Men’s 50km Mass Classic. Norway dominated what is one of the most prestigious events in Cross-Country [...]
BEN LYNCH EIGHTH IN OLYMPIC FINAL
Day Fourteen Finals – Team Ireland at Milano Cortina ‘26 History maker Ben Lynch has finished a brilliant eighth place in the Finals of the Men’s Freestyle Skiing Halfpipe at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics in Livigno tonight, posting an impressive score of 75.00 in the final run of the event. Lynch’s result marks [...]
BEN LYNCH QUALIFIES FOR OLYMPIC FINAL
Day Fourteen – Team Ireland at Milano Cortina ‘26 In sensational style, Team Ireland’s Ben Lynch qualified for the Olympic Final of the Men’s Freestyle Skiing Halfpipe, finishing 11th in the qualifiers with a top score and personal best of 75.75. The top twelve qualifiers from today’s qualifying two rounds progress to the Olympic Final [...]