Yesterday, the Olympic Federation of Ireland named forty-two athletes who will compete across five sports in the Summer European Youth Olympic Festival (EYOF) taking place later this month.
The EYOF is the largest European multi-sport event for young athletes between the ages of 14 and 17 and generally occurs every two years. This year it takes place in Maribor, Slovenia and will run from the 23–29 of July.
The EYOF is a prestigious event that plays an important role in the overall development of athletes, as it mimics the Olympic Games model, preparing athletes for the nuances of performing in a multi-sport environment. This year’s event will see forty-eight countries across Europe participate in the event, with approximately 3,600 athletes competing.
Previous medal winners from the EYOF include many of Team Ireland’s top performers like Rhasidat Adeleke, Ciara Mageean, Lara Gillespie and Sarah Lavin.
Team Ireland athletes who have been selected for this year’s event gathered at the official team day earlier this week, where they picked up their kit, and took part in team bonding events, along with their parents and coaches. They also heard from Tokyo Olympian, Louise Shanahan, who won a gold medal in the 800m (athletics), ten years ago at the EYOF in Utrecht, Netherlands. Fresh from a successful campaign shared her invaluable Games experience and insights with the young athletes before their departure.
EUROPEAN YOUTH OLYMPIC FESTIVAL || TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT
Today we have named 42 athletes that will compete across 🖐️ sports 👇
🏊 Swimming
🎾 Tennis
🤸♂️ Gymnastics
🚴♀️ Cycling
🎽 Athletics
This year’s event which takes place in Maribor, Slovenia, will see forty-eight countries… pic.twitter.com/z6b6DJCwON— Team Ireland (@TeamIreland) July 13, 2023
Announcing the team, Olympic Federation of Ireland Chef de Mission for the EYOF, Nancy Chillingworth said, “The EYOF is Europe’s largest multi-discipline event for young athletes, and it is a vital step for Team Ireland athletes on the Olympic pathway. This is an eager young group, with a mix of those travelling to their first multi-sport event and some who competed in the postponed EYOF last year, so we know that they are ambitious and will learn a lot. EYOF is also a great opportunity for coaches and support staff to learn and that mix of first-time and experience is evident within both the sport-specific coaches, as well as the performance support team which is led by Julianne Ryan, from the Sport Ireland Institute. I have no doubt that the athletes will have a wonderful experience and we are looking forward to supporting them to achieve their goals”.
Speaking at the team day, Shanahan, who is also a qualified Quantum Physicist, said, “It was great to be able to share my insights from my own EYOF experience with the athletes. The learnings that you get from these multi-games experiences at a young age really set you up for senior events. I remember walking into the Tokyo village in 2021, and I knew what to expect having been in Utrecht. The biggest thing that they can come away with from these Games is their learnings, and that will help them progress through the ranks with more ease.”
The Irish team departs for Maribor on the 21st of July with competition starting on the 24th of July.
Team Ireland Athletes
Athletics
Amy-Jo Kierans (Monaghan) Medley Relay (F)
Andrew Cooper (Kilkenny) Shot Put (M)
Cian Crampton (Offaly) Discus (M)
Clodagh Gill (Mayo) 3000m (F)
Davey Davitt (Dublin) 400m Hurdles, Mixed Relay (M)
Donal Martin (Blackrock) 200m, Mixed Relay (M)
Enya Silkena (Dundalk) Heptathlon (F)
Hollie Kilroe (Roscommon) 400m, Mixed Relay (F)
Jason O’Reilly (Killarney) Medley Relay (M)
Jesse Osas (Ratoath) 100m, Mixed Relay (M)
Katie Doherty (Ratoath) 200m, Mixed Relay (F)
Leila Colfer (Carlow) 100m, Mixed Relay (F)
Michael Kent (Wexford) Long Jump, Mixed Relay (M)
Nicole Dinan (Cork) 1500m (F)
Oisin Lynch (Killarney) 800m (M)
Oisin McEvoy (Lusk) 400m, Mixed Relay (M)
Oisin McGloin (Lisburn) 3000m (M)
Saoirse Fitzgerald (Lucan) 800m, Mixed Relay (F)
Sean Cronin (Dublin) 1500m (M)
Seamus Clarke (Mayo) 5000m RW (M)
Tara O’Connor (Dundalk) High Jump (F)
Veronica O’Neill (Derry) 100m Hurdles (F)
Paul Byrne – Team Leader
Brian Scanlon – Coach
Evelyn O’Reilly – Coach
Katie Kirk – Coach
Cycling
Aliyah Rafferty (Tyrone) Road Race, Time-Trial (F)
Conor Murphy (Louth) Road Race, Time-Trial, Mountain Bike (M)
David Gaffney (Dungarvan) Road Race, Time-Trial (M)
Greta Lawless (Dublin) Road Race, Time-Trial, Mountain Bike (F)
Kate Murphy (Cork) Road Race, Time-Trial (F)
Philip O’Connor (Galway) Road Race, Time-Trial (M)
Gary McKeegan – Team Leader
Jennifer Bates – Coach
Adrian Delaney – Mechanic
Gymnastics
James Hickey (Kildare) Boy’s Artistic Gymnastics
Maeve McGuinness (Dublin) Girl’s Artistic Gymnastics
Mimi Moloney (Cork) Girl’s Artistic Gymnastics
Lily Russell (Dublin) Girl’s Artistic Gymnastics
Sandra Stevenson – Team Leader
Colm Murray – Coach
Hugo Lopes de Oliveira – Coach
Swimming
Ava Jones (Portmarnock) 200m, 100m Breaststroke, 50m and 100m Freestyle (F)
Brydan Byrne (Stillorgan) 200m, 100m Backstroke (M)
Denis O’Brien (Limerick) 1500m, 400m, and 200m Freestyle (M)
Gene Smyth (Bangor) 200m, 100m, and 50m Freestyle (M)
Niamh Connery (Galway) 200m, 100m, Breaststroke, 400m Individual Medley (F)
Sean Donnellan (Dublin) 200m, 100m, Butterfly (M)
Michael McCarthy – Team Leader
Sinead Donagher – Coach
Tennis
Eoghan Jennings (Westport) Boy’s Singles and Doubles
Jennifer Marsh (Dublin) Girl’s Singles and Doubles
Lydia Brennan (Dublin) Girl’s Singles and Doubles
Zac Naughton (Wicklow) Boy’s Singles and Doubles
Cian Blake – Team Leader
Cliona Walsh – Coach
