SNOWSPORTS
The Snowsports Association of Ireland (SAI) is the most active and well known of Irish winter sports in high performance due to their role and impact on Olympic Games participation.
They are affiliated to the International Governing Bodies of the sports, the Federation Internationale De Ski (FIS) as well as the International Biathlon Union (IBU) and the World Snowboard Federation (WSF).
They are primarily responsible for the growth and development of cross country and biathlon, alpine skiing, freestyle skiing, and snowboarding disciplines and play the key role in supporting Irish athletes to qualify and participate in the Winter Olympic Games.
The Winter Olympics are a major international multi-sport event held once every four years for sports practiced on snow and ice. The first Winter Olympic Games, the 1924 Winter Olympics, were held in Chamonix, France.
Irish athletes predominately compete in alpine, cross country, freestyle skiing and snowboard. The qualifying standard for the Winter Olympic Games is set by the International Olympic Committee, while selection of athletes is the prerogative of the Olympic Federation of Ireland.
Snowsports Athletes have represented Ireland and competed at the last five Winter Olympic Games, in Nagano 1998, Salt Lake City 2002, Torino 2006, Vancouver 2010, Sochi 2014 and PyeongChang in 2018. Ireland also sends teams to the Winter Youth Olympic Games and European Youth Olympic Festival.
National Federation: Snowsports Association of Ireland
International Federation: International Ski Federation
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 [...]
SELECTED ATHLETES
Cormac Comerford
BIOGRAPHY Cormac Comerford ormac Comerford competed for Ireland at the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games across four disciplines. He became Ireland’s 34th Winter Olympian and opened the Irish campaign with a 34th-place finish in the men’s downhill on the Stelvio course, later placing 37th in the super-G and 42nd in the giant slalom before also [...]
Anabelle Zurbay
BIOGRAPHY Anabelle Zurbay competed for Ireland at the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games in slalom and giant slalom. She made history as Ireland’s youngest Olympic alpine skier and finished 48th in both the women’s giant slalom and slalom events. Zurbay was also one of Ireland’s flagbearers at the Opening Ceremony. Based in Vail, Colorado, she [...]
Ben Lynch
BIOGRAPHY Ben Lynch became the first Irish skier to reach an Olympic halfpipe final, where he finished eighth overall at the Milano Cortina Games. Ben was born in Rathmines, Dublin and moved to Canada aged two. He began competing at age 12 in slopestyle and big air before switching to halfpipe at 19, progressing to [...]
Garry Power
BIOGRAPHY Garry Power was part of the Four Man Bobsleigh team at the Nagano 1998 Games. OTHER SNOWSPORTS ATHLETES{{ vc_btn: title=SEE+ALL+ATHLETES&style=outline-custom&outline_custom_color=%2300ed00&outline_custom_hover_background=%23ffffff&outline_custom_hover_text=%23001136&shape=square&css=.vc_custom_1677079573058%7Bmargin-top%3A+10px+%21important%3Bmargin-left%3A+0px+%21important%3B%7D&link=url%3A%252Fathletes-list%252F&el_class=see-all-athletes }} Patrick McMillanSimon LinscheidPatrick-Paul Schwarzacher-JoyceJeff PamplinTamsen McGarryPaul O’ConnorKirsty McGarryThomas FoleyRory MorrishShane O’ConnorPJ BarronFlorence BellConor LyneJan RossiterThomas Maloney WestgaardTess ArbezSeamus O’ConnorJack GowerBrendan Newby SNOWSPORTS NEWS WINTER OLYMPICS DEBUTANT BEN LYNCH REFLECTS ON HIS HISTORIC HALFPIPE [...]
Patrick McMillan
BIOGRAPHY Patrick McMillan competed for Ireland at the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics in the men’s giant slalom, becoming only the second Irish athlete to compete in the discipline. Patrick's first sport was rugby and he was part of the Leinster set up as an underage player before he turned his talents to snowsports. OTHER SNOWSPORTS [...]
Simon Linscheid
BIOGRAPHY WINTER OLYMPICS NEWS WINTER OLYMPICS DEBUTANT BEN LYNCH REFLECTS ON HIS HISTORIC HALFPIPE PERFORMANCEAs 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! [...]
Patrick-Paul Schwarzacher-Joyce
BIOGRAPHY Two time Olympian, Patrick-Paul Schwarzacher-Joyce was the first skier to represent Ireland at the Olympics. WINTER OLYMPICS NEWS WINTER OLYMPICS DEBUTANT BEN LYNCH REFLECTS ON HIS HISTORIC HALFPIPE PERFORMANCEAs 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 [...]
Jeff Pamplin
BIOGRAPHY OTHER SNOWSPORTS ATHLETES{{ vc_btn: title=SEE+ALL+ATHLETES&style=outline-custom&outline_custom_color=%2300ed00&outline_custom_hover_background=%23ffffff&outline_custom_hover_text=%23001136&shape=square&css=.vc_custom_1677079573058%7Bmargin-top%3A+10px+%21important%3Bmargin-left%3A+0px+%21important%3B%7D&link=url%3A%252Fathletes-list%252F&el_class=see-all-athletes }} Tamsen McGarryPaul O’ConnorKirsty McGarryThomas FoleyRory MorrishShane O’ConnorPJ BarronFlorence BellConor LyneJan RossiterThomas Maloney WestgaardTess ArbezSeamus O’ConnorJack GowerBrendan Newby SNOWSPORTS NEWS WINTER OLYMPICS DEBUTANT BEN LYNCH REFLECTS ON HIS HISTORIC HALFPIPE PERFORMANCEAs he said himself it was as if the stars aligned under the Friday night lights in Livigno when [...]
Tamsen McGarry
BIOGRAPHY Tamsen McGarry made history as Ireland’s first female Winter Olympian, competing in alpine skiing at the Salt Lake City 2002 Winter Olympic Games. She was the flag bearer for Team Ireland in the opening ceremony of the Games. Tamsen's younger sister Kirsty is also a Team Ireland winter Olympian. WINTER OLYMPICS NEWS WINTER OLYMPICS [...]
Paul O’Connor
BIOGRAPHY WINTER OLYMPICS NEWS WINTER OLYMPICS DEBUTANT BEN LYNCH REFLECTS ON HIS HISTORIC HALFPIPE PERFORMANCEAs 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! [...]
Kirsty McGarry
BIOGRAPHY WINTER OLYMPICS NEWS WINTER OLYMPICS DEBUTANT BEN LYNCH REFLECTS ON HIS HISTORIC HALFPIPE PERFORMANCEAs 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! [...]
Thomas Foley
BIOGRAPHY WINTER OLYMPICS NEWS WINTER OLYMPICS DEBUTANT BEN LYNCH REFLECTS ON HIS HISTORIC HALFPIPE PERFORMANCEAs 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! [...]
Rory Morrish
BIOGRAPHY Rory Morrish represented Ireland in cross-country skiing at the Torino 2006 Winter Olympic Games and carried the Irish flag at the Closing Ceremony. Morrish made his entrance to snowsports via ski orienteering and was the first Irish athlete ever to compete in a World Cup in that sport. He went on to compete for [...]
Shane O’Connor
BIOGRAPHY Shane O’Connor represented Ireland in slalom skiing at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games. Born in Dublin, he competed as an athlete with the Ski Club of Ireland and enjoyed a long international career at the highest level of alpine skiing. O’Connor represented Ireland at five FIS Alpine World Ski Championships: Morioka, Japan (1993); St. Moritz, Switzerland (2003); [...]
PJ Barron
BIOGRAPHY WINTER OLYMPICS NEWS WINTER OLYMPICS DEBUTANT BEN LYNCH REFLECTS ON HIS HISTORIC HALFPIPE PERFORMANCEAs 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! [...]
Florence Bell
BIOGRAPHY ATHLETICS NEWS New Fiat Grande Panda Unveiled at Olympic HouseKate O’Connor joins Team Ireland HQ launch of the all-new Fiat Grande Panda. The Olympic Federation of Ireland welcomed Fiat Ireland to Team Ireland HQ this week for the Irish media unveiling of the all-new Grande Panda. As Official Vehicle Partner, Fiat Ireland continues to [...]
Conor Lyne
BIOGRAPHY OTHER ATHLETICS ATHLETES{{ vc_btn: title=SEE+ALL+ATHLETES&style=outline-custom&outline_custom_color=%2300ed00&outline_custom_hover_background=%23ffffff&outline_custom_hover_text=%23001136&shape=square&css=.vc_custom_1720710760433%7Bmargin-top%3A+10px+%21important%3Bmargin-left%3A+0px+%21important%3B%7D&link=url%3A%252Fathletes%252F&el_class=see-all-athletes }} Michelle SmithErin RiordanMax McCuskerConor FergusonTom FannonGrace DavisonVictoria CattersonEllen WalsheDaniel WiffenDanielle HillFinn McGeeverShane RyanDarragh GreeneBrendan HylandJack McMillanMona McSharry ATHLETICS NEWS PERFORMANCE ROUND UP – MARCH 2026ATHLETICS European Throwing Cup – Nicosia, Cyprus Ireland’s throwers produced a series of strong performances at the European Throwing Cup in Nicosia. Nicola Tuthill [...]
Jan Rossiter
BIOGRAPHY OTHER SNOWSPORTS ATHLETES{{ vc_btn: title=SEE+ALL+ATHLETES&style=outline-custom&outline_custom_color=%2300ed00&outline_custom_hover_background=%23ffffff&outline_custom_hover_text=%23001136&shape=square&css=.vc_custom_1677079573058%7Bmargin-top%3A+10px+%21important%3Bmargin-left%3A+0px+%21important%3B%7D&link=url%3A%252Fathletes-list%252F&el_class=see-all-athletes }} Thomas Maloney WestgaardTess ArbezSeamus O’ConnorJack GowerBrendan Newby SNOWSPORTS NEWS WINTER OLYMPICS DEBUTANT BEN LYNCH REFLECTS ON HIS HISTORIC HALFPIPE PERFORMANCEAs 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 [...]
Thomas Maloney Westgaard
BIOGRAPHY Thomas Maloney Westgaard is a three time Olympian in cross-country skiing. At the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games, he finished 35th in the men’s 10km+10km skiathlon, 54th in the 10km freestyle interval start, and 23rd in the gruelling 50km mass start classic. His best Olympic result is 14th, which he achieved at the Beijing [...]
Tess Arbez
BIOGRAPHY French-Irish skier, Tess Arbez was only 20 when she made her Olympic debut in PyeongChang in 2018. She went on to make history when she became the first Irishwoman to compete in a speed race at the Olympics at Beijing 2022. Tess's maternal grandfather was born in Carlow and lived in Blackrock in Dublin [...]
Seamus O’Connor
BIOGRAPHY Raised in California, with paternal grandparents from Drogheda and Dublin, Seamus O'Connor made history in Sochi 2014 years ago when he wasn’t just Ireland’s first Olympic snowboarder but also, aged 16, the youngest snowboard competitor, finishing 15th in the halfpipe and 17th in slopestyle. Despite a bad knee injury in 2016 that lost him a full [...]
Jack Gower
BIOGRAPHY Jack Gower competes in Super-G and giant slalom. He won the World Junior giant slalom title at age 16 while representing Great Britain. In 2021, he switched allegiance to Ireland, enabling him to establish a new coaching and training setup ahead of Olympic qualification. Gower has been ranked as high as 38th in the [...]
Brendan Newby
BIOGRAPHY Brendan 'Bubba' Newby was born in Cork when his father Van, a professor of economics, spent two years teaching in UCC. He has represented Ireland in halfpipe at two Olympic Games and at the World Championships. OTHER SNOWSPORTS ATHLETES{{ vc_btn: title=SEE+ALL+ATHLETES&style=outline-custom&outline_custom_color=%2300ed00&outline_custom_hover_background=%23ffffff&outline_custom_hover_text=%23001136&shape=square&css=.vc_custom_1677079573058%7Bmargin-top%3A+10px+%21important%3Bmargin-left%3A+0px+%21important%3B%7D&link=url%3A%252Fathletes-list%252F&el_class=see-all-athletes }} SNOWSPORTS NEWS WINTER OLYMPICS DEBUTANT BEN LYNCH REFLECTS ON HIS HISTORIC HALFPIPE [...]