Hero's welcome in Sligo for surfer Gearóid McDaid after historic European gold medal win
McDaid's triumph in the men's shortboard event at the championships in Santa Cruz, Portugal on Thursday made him the first Irish surfer to win a continental gold medal.
The national team secured an overall third-place finish, Ireland's strongest result to date, thanks to a bronze medal performance from Ruby Knox in the women's longboard and Tom Breene's fourth place in the men's longboard.
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McDaid, who secured a silver medal at the same championship just two years ago, said that he 'could not describe' how excited he was to win.
'That winning feeling – even when I was coming out of the water the other day, having everyone running down the beach and grabbing you to celebrate, it's a feeling you always dream of,' McDaid said.
A homecoming celebration took place at the National Surf Centre in Strandhill yesterday to celebrate the momentous victory, where a crowd gathered in the village square for podium interviews with the team and coaches.
'It's amazing to win, and thanks so much to everybody for coming out,' McDaid told the large crowd in attendance yesterday.
'Also thanks to the rest of the team and for being there supporting us on the beach.'
McDaid said that the Irish team 'all supported each other the whole way through the contest', adding that the team's coach Gavin McCrea spent 'hours and hours' on the beach each day helping the team.
'It's great to have that support when you're away, and then to have this support when you come home. It's amazing,' he said.
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McDaid's parents travelled to Portugal to support him, something that meant a great deal.
'I think everybody's seen the video of my mum hugging me on the beach,' he joked.
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'Having them there, supporting me is great, they've supported me my whole life, my mum, my dad, my brother and my sister. I couldn't do without them,' he added.
Following the win, the Sligo surfer now says his focus is now on the LA Olympics in 2028.
He narrowly missed out on qualifying for the 2024 Paris Olympics, as seen in RTÉ's Path to Paris documentary last year.
'My main goal now is to focus on the Olympics for the next three years,' he said.
'We've got the surfing world championship coming up in September in El Salvador. The next short term goal is to try and win gold at that, and then hopefully qualify for the Olympics in LA in 28.
'Let's keep pushing and stay focused on that goal.'
So, what advice did the European champion give to young surfers in Ireland? 'Have fun'.
'The thing I find with surfing is that it's important to be in the water every single day. That's possible no matter what,' McDaid told the Strandhill crowd.
It might be hard when it's raining and freezing here in Ireland, but it's getting out there every day and enjoying it, that's the main thing.
'It's about ensuring that it's always fun, that you're always coming out of the water with a smile, and that just makes it easier. I'm pretty lucky to be able to call it my job and enjoy it!'
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