As mentioned in the OCI web article in January , the Snowsports Association of Ireland (SAI) have found a superb young talent in Snowboarder Seamus O’Connor.
OCI Chief Executive Stephen Martin met Snowsports officials last year and was briefed on their plans to ensure O’Connor was available to represent Ireland, potentially in the first ever World Youth Olympic Games in Innsbruck 2012 and in the Olympic Winter Games in Sochi 2014, “We are in close contact with Snowsports officials, its certainly exciting news for winter sport in this country”
Last month, the youngster won the World Rookie Fest Grom (young boarder) division in Livigno, Italy. On January 26th, he moved to 35th in the TTR men’s world rankings, to join some of the biggest names in the game at the business end of his sport. He is 13.
Interest is such that the Irish Times have given a full page to his rise to fame, and the prospects of him representing Ireland at the 2014 Games in Sochi.
Alpine development officer, and Vancouver 2010 Irish Olympic skier, Shane O’Connor (no relation) has looked into his credentials and a request to compete for Ireland. He said,
“When I saw Seamus’s perfomances on a YouTube clip, I thought, ‘God, a 12-year-old doing this sort of stuff, it’s too impressive to not, at least, follow up with his father and find out what his background is’.”
The former Olympic skier knows talent and technique, whether it’s in his discipline or not, and his opinion was taken on board, a meeting was arranged and the paperwork was completed. Despite firm proposals from the USA and Russia – the birthplace of his mother, Elena – Séamus officially has commited to Ireland.
Please click here for the full story in the Irish Times article
