The Olympic Federation of Ireland today named a squad of 16 athletes from 9 sports, to compete at the Summer Youth Olympic Games in October in Buenos Aires. Competition runs from October 6 to October 18 featuring over 4,000 athletes and over 32 sports. This will be the first outing for Team Ireland since the unveiling of the new logo and name.
This will be the third edition of the Youth Olympic Games which are hosted every four years. The Games provide invaluable Olympic experience and competition for talented junior athletes aged 15 to 18 from over 200 countries around the world.
The event replicates many features of the Summer Olympic Games with a fully maintained Athletes’ Village. In recognition of the role the games play in the development of future athletes, the Youth Olympic Games also integrates a Culture and Education programme.
The team of 5 male athletes and 11 female athletes includes Nhat Nguyen (Badminton) and Mona McSharry (Swimming), recipients of Olympic Solidarity Scholarships which were awarded to assist with qualification and preparations for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
Wishing the team luck in their competition, President of the Olympic Federation of Ireland, Sarah Keane says, “Our team is made up of talented and committed athletes, who have worked hard to qualify for these Games, where they take on the world’s best in their fields. This will undoubtedly be a significant stepping stone for them in their sporting careers. As ever, none of this would be possible without the support of their families, coaches, NGBs, Sport Ireland High Performance Unit and Sport Ireland Institute.”
CEO Peter Sherrard outlines the role played by the Youth Olympic Games in the athlete’s career, “The Youth Olympic Games plays an important role in athlete development. Competing at the top level provides great experience to young athletes and being part of a multi-sport competition adds an extra element of learning for our next generation of talent.”
The athletes and their families take part in an Olympic team preparation day at the Sport Ireland Institute on September 15 in partnership with their Sport Science and Medical team, and led by Chef de Mission for the Youth Olympic Games, Olympic Federation of Ireland’s Sports Director, Martin Burke. The team day will cover a wide range of topics including medical checks, anti-doping, integrity briefings, social media training, and team building exercises.
TEAM
Athletics
Miriam Daly (400m Hurdles), Sophie Meredith (Long Jump), Miranda Tcheutchoua (Hammer)
Badminton
Nhat Nguyen (Men’s Singles)
Boxing
Dean Clancy (Men’s Flyweight), Lauren Kelly (Middleweight), Dearbhla Rooney (Bantamweight)
Diving
Tanya Watson (10m Platform)
Karate
Sean McCarthy Crean (+68kg)
Golf
Lauren Crowley Walsh (Women’s Individual, Mixed Team), David Kitt (Men’s Individual, Mixed Team)
Gymnastics
Emma Slevin (Women’s Artistic Programme)
Swimming
Niamh Coyne (50, 100, 200 breaststroke), Mona McSharry (50, 100, 200 breaststroke, 50 freestyle), Robert Powell (50, 100 freestyle, 50 butterfly)
Tennis
Georgia Drummy (Women’s Singles)
The team departs for Buenos Aires on October 3 with Irish athletes in action on every day of the Games.