Gymnastics
Gymnastics Ireland’s own Emma Slevin competed in the NCAA National Final Four on Saturday 18th April with her team, the Minnesota Golden Gophers. This is the first time Minnesota has made the Final Four in their history.
Ranked No. 13 after the NCAA regular season, the Gophers upset No.4 UCLA and No.9 Arkansas in the Semifinals, to reach the finals and compete against current champion and No.1 ranked Oklahoma, No. 2 LSU and No. 3 Florida.
Emma Slevin competed on uneven bars, scoring a 9.88 out of 10, and on vault, concluding her first season in NCAA with a 9.85 out of 10.
The Golden Gophers closed their season in fourth place nationally, the highest finish in the Minnesota gymnastics programme history, and only 0.3125 from a bronze medal.
Badminton
Siofra and Orla Flynn took home gold in the Women’s Doubles from the Malta International on Sunday 19th April.
The current Irish National champions beat number three seeds Sterre Bang and Inger Pothuizen, from the Netherlands, 21-15 21-14 in the final.
Squash
Hannah Craig has described becoming the first Irish women’s player to qualify for the World Championships in 12 years as an amazing reward for all the people who helped her behind the scenes on her long journey to the top.
Not since Madeline Perry competed at the 2014 Championships in Cairo has Ireland had a representative at the tournament, but that will change next month when Craig, the PSA No.63, takes her place in the first-round draw.
The 64-player tournament at Giza, near Cairo, will pit Craig against Egyptian Sana Ibrahim, the PSA No.18, in the opening round after she lived up to her status as the No.1 seed for last week’s European qualifier in Pontefract.
Craig took the fifth set 11-8, and she then went on to defeat Germany’s Katerina Tycova 3-1, Wales’ Lowri Roberts 3-2 and Poland’s Karina Tyma 3-2 to book her ticket to the World Championships in Egypt, beginning on May 8th.
“It feels surreal right now and then in other ways, it kind of doesn’t because it is something I have put so much work and mental energy into preparation for this event,”
“Achieving it really feels so fulfilling. It was my biggest goal for the year, to play in the World Championships.
“The way I did that in terms of not getting into the main draw originally and then being seeded No.1 for the European qualification, I really felt like, ‘Okay, if I am going to get there, I’m going to have to prove I deserve that place’.
“Europe is definitely one of the strongest in terms of the continents, so I am really happy and it feels so rewarding that I was able to fulfil this and prove through multiple, very tough matches that I have earned that place in Egypt, so I can’t wait to be there.”
Boxing
Boxing Ireland announced the appointment of Olympic medallist Aidan Walsh as High Performance Athlete Support Lead, marking a significant step forward in the NGB’s commitment to athlete welfare, development, and performance excellence.
Aidan, who won bronze at the Tokyo Olympic Games, brings not only elite competitive experience but also strong academic expertise to the role. He holds an MSc in Athlete Wellbeing & Performance Sport Psychology and is working towards pursuing a PhD exploring emotions within elite boxing gyms.. This unique combination of lived experience and academic knowledge positions him to make a meaningful impact within the high performance system.
In his new role, Aidan will support Ireland’s high performance boxers across all stages of their journey, with a particular focus on athlete wellbeing, mentoring, and enhancing the overall performance environment. His work will help ensure that athletes are supported holistically in pursuit of podium success and in their personal development.
