Thirty-three athletes across five sports will compete as part of Team Ireland in the Summer European Youth Olympic Festival (EYOF) in Baku, Azerbaijan this month. The EYOF is a multi-sport event aimed at athletes aged 14-18 years of age and plays an important role in preparing athletes for future Games, run in a similar format to the Olympic Games and the Youth Olympics.
Athletes from Athletics, Cycling, Gymnastics, Swimming and Tennis will be competing across the seven days of competition in Baku, with the EYOF running from the 21 – 27 July. The EYOF is held every two years and is run by the European Olympic Committees (EOC) under the patronage of the IOC.
At the previous edition of the EYOF, which was held in Gyor, Hungary, Team Ireland returned with 6 medals across athletics and cycling. Silver medallist from Gyor, Rhasidat Adeleke will also be competing in Baku as one of seventeen females and eight males on Team Ireland.
Announcing the team, Olympic Federation of Ireland Chef de Mission for the EYOF, Gavin Noble said,
“We have a young and exciting team competing at the EYOF. The athletes across the five sports represent some of the best in Ireland at the sports in their age groups, and we are looking forward to working with them and watching them grow in this Games environment. Athletes like Rhasidat Adeleke and Ciara Sheehy have competed at this level before, but for many of the athletes this is their first time at a multi-sport event, and I hope that this will be an enjoyable learning experience for them all.”
The athletes, their coaches and their parents took part in a team day in the Sport Ireland Institute today where they picked up their Team Ireland kit and were briefed on what to expect at what will be the first multi-sport event for most of the team.
Peter Sherrard, Olympic Federation of Ireland CEO said,
“The EYOF provides very significant experience for athletes at this stage in their development and exposes them to a multi-sport environment. NGBs, coaches and parents play an important role so it was useful to gather everyone today with the athletes to give then advice on what to expect and to deliver kit. I wish the team well and thank the OFI and Sport Ireland Institute staff who will play such an important role making the Games a positive experience for the athletes.”
TEAM IRELAND
Athletics
Aimee Hayde (Co. Tipperary) 800m
Aoife O’Sullivan (Co. Cork) High Jump
Ava O’Connor (Co. Offaly) 1500m
Caoimhe Cronin (Co. Kildare) 400m, Medley Relay Panel– 100m, 200m, 300m, 400m
Charles Okafor (Co. Westmeath) 200m, Medley Relay Panel – 100m, 200m, 300m, 400m
Cian Dunne (Co. Dublin) 400m hurdles, Medley Relay – 100m, 200m, 300m, 400m
Ciara Sheehy (Co. Cork) Shot Put
Conor Cusack (Co. Mayo) Javelin Throw
Diarmuid O’Connor (Co. Cork) Decathlon
Emily MacHugh (Co. Kildare) 5000m Race Walking
Israel Olatunde (Co. Louth) 100m, Medley Relay Panel – 100m, 200m, 300m, 400m
John Fanning (Co. Dublin) 2000m Steeplechase
Michael Morgan (Co. Sligo) 3000m
Oisin Lane (Co. Westmeath) 10000m Race Walking
Rhasidat Adeleke (Co. Dublin) 100m, 200m
Robert McDonnell (Co. Galway) 400m, Medley Relay Panel – 100m, 200m, 300m, 400m
Roisin O’Reilly (Co. Wexford) 2000m Steeplechase
Sean Maher (Co. Dublin) Hammer Throw
Sean Donoghue (Co. Dublin) 1500m, Medley Relay Panel – 100m, 200m, 300m, 400m
Tommy Connolly (Co. Cork) 800m, Medley Relay Panel – 100m, 200m, 300m, 400m
Cycling
Adam Gilsenan (Meath) Time Trial and Road Race
Aoife O’Brien (Mullingar) Time Trial and Road Race
Caoimhe May (Dublin) Time Trial and Road Race
Darren Rafferty (Craigavon) Time Trial and Road Race
Erin Creighton (Antrim) Time Trial and Road Race
Mark McGarry (Waterford) Time Trial and Road Race
Gymnastics
Blathnaid Higgins (Galway) Beam, Floor, Uneven Bars, Vault
Caoimhe Donohoe (Galway) Beam, Floor, Uneven Bars, Vault
Eve McGibbon (Antrim) Beam, Floor, Uneven Bars, Vault
Swimming
Ellie McKibbin (Dundonald) 100m Freestyle, 200m Freestyle
Molly Mayne (Galway) 100m Breaststroke, 200m Breaststroke
Tennis
Arthur O’Sullivan (Nice, France) Boys Singles
Cliona Walsh (Sligo) Girls Singles
