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Tag Archives: tokyo olympics

Finn and co make splash though Olympic dream over…for now

FINN McGeever made history this afternoon as part of the Irish 4x200m swim relay team that took to the water in the Olympic Games, writes Ivan Smyth. While the team did not progress from their heat, the former pupil of St Anne’s Community College and his colleagues did themselves proud, being part of the first Irish swim relay team to compete in an Olympics in 49 years. McGeever swam the second leg of the relay after Jack McMillan thundered through the field in the opening leg, setting an Irish 200m record. #Swimming Ireland's first ever men's Olympic relay has finished 15th in the 4x200m Freestyle Relay with lead swimmer Jack McMillan setting a new Irish Senior Record 🇮🇪 for 200m! ⏱️ 1:46.66 for @Jackmac121!⏱️ 7:14.58 for Team Ireland#TeamIreland #Tokyo2020 @swimireland pic.twitter.com/89Gy5l4h4a — Team Ireland (@TeamIreland) July 27, 2021 The Irish quartet finished eighth in their heat and 15th overall, and were unable to progress through to the next round. Ireland …

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Hard work and sacrifice pay dividends for Olympian Finn

Finn McGeever tells Dan Danaher that the local support will give him a real boost in the pool in Tokyo A FORMER student of St Anne’s Community College has described securing a place on the Irish Olympic swimming relay team as a “dream come true”. Finn McGeever, (20) will be making history in Toyko, as he is part of an Irish swimming relay team, that will compete in the 200 metre relay event for the first time in 49 years. Securing nine Olympic places means this is the largest Irish swimming team after three qualified for the previous games. The Irish men’s four by 200 metre freestyle relay heats takes place on Tuesday, July 27, between 7 and 9.30pm Tokyo time, which is eight hours ahead of Ireland. Finn, a second year student at University of Limerick (UL) is the youngest son of Roisín and Charlie and a past pupil of Ballina National School and St Anne’s Community College. In …

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Clare coach brimming with excitement for Olympic Sevens

ED Slattery is aware the sport of Rugby Sevens is often fighting for attention from the public with the traditional 15-a-side format dominating the airwaves, writes Ivan Smyth. However, the Athletic Performance Coach with Ireland Men’s Rugby Sevens side believes the team’s qualification for Tokyo has captured the public’s attention. “The support has been brilliant. The country is rowing in behind these lads. We have been getting more eyes on the sport. This is about the boys who’ve worked so hard to get here and luckily they’ve been getting a lot of support.” Rugby is a huge part of Ed’s life. His local club St Senan’s RFC named their stadium Jimmy Slattery Park, in honour of his late father. The 33-year-old works with Sevens players to ensure they are at their physical peak while helping to reduce the possibility of injury. Slattery is passionate about his role within the IRFU. “I am lucky to work in the IRFU for six …

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Timing has proved crucial for Lough Derg Olympic swimmer

FINN McGeever is the first to admit that the postponement of the Olympic Games to this year was a “blessing in disguise”, writes Ivan Smyth Despite travelling to Tokyo at the tender age of 20, the swimmer from Ballina, Killaloe,  is able to reflect on the past 15 months and acknowledge that the first lockdown last March gave him an opportunity to get himself in the best shape possible. “Back in 2020 it wasn’t looking too great for me making that team. Obviously, things changed this time around. The lockdown worked out so well for me swimming-wise. It gave me time to make my breakthrough to the next level. It was a blessing in disguise.” The second year student at the University of Limerick (UL) believes the lockdowns allowed him to find a new perspective and enjoy swimming more. “First year (in college) I went too heavy on the training side. One of my issues was that I was almost …

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Clare Olympian had no hesitation choosing Ireland over France

IT couldn’t be any other way for Liam Jegou. After a childhood spent by the sea, both in France and Ballyvaughan, the 25-year-old was destined for a career on the water. Jegou is currently in Japan preparing to represent Ireland in the canoe C1 slalom. The last time Ireland was represented in this event was in the year he was born, 1996. So how did the Ballyvaughan man drift in to the sport? “It’s very much a family affair for me. My dad owned a sea kayaking business in Ballyvaughan in the 2000s called ‘River Ocean’. That’s when I started paddling; back when I lived in Ireland. “When we moved to France my dad got a job as a slalom coach in the local club. That’s where I fell in love with the sport. My dad coached me up until I was 20 years old so I had that opportunity to have a good coach at home. It gave me …

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Clarity amid the chaos for McEvoy

Confirmation last week that the re-arranged Olympic Games will go ahead in Tokyo this summer has provided a timely boost to Ennis swimmer Rory McEvoy, he spoke to Ronan Judge. 22-year-old Rory McEvoy is at the start of an intensive block of training at the Sports Ireland campus in Dublin as he bids to to book a place on the plane to Japan.  The postponed Irish Olympic Trials are just around the corner and after the uncertainty of the last 12 months, McEvoy is fully focused on the task at hand. After a welcome visit home to see family at Christmas, McEvoy is back in the pool with fellow members of Swim Ireland’s high performance unit as Olympic preparations step up a notch. “Since we came back last week, it’s full steam ahead for the next two weeks. I’m based in Dublin and training out of the Sports Ireland campus in Blanchardstown. We’re in the thick of one of the …

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