logo
Historic World Championship medal for Ireland's Eve McMahon in China

Historic World Championship medal for Ireland's Eve McMahon in China

Irish Examiner17-05-2025
Howth sailer Eve McMahon has claimed an historic bronze medal at the ILCA World Championships in Qingdao in China on an epic final day.
McMahon finished the women's ILCA 6 event in third behind Poland's Agata Barwinska who finished second with France's Louise Cervera taking gold. She becomes the first Irish female sailor to medal at the senior World Championships and the 22-year-old already has back-to-back U21 World Championships to her name.
It is a step-up for McMahon who competed in her first Olympics in Paris after just two years at senior level and recent results have seen her record good placings mixed with costly errors but that has changed this week.
In the six races McMahon placed in the top six places in the 99-boat event while avoiding penalties.
"We were struggling in the last few events but we've worked really hard to fix that before coming to China," commented Irish Sailing coach Vasilij Zbogar. "We spent time in Lymington training in (tidal) current with the British team and that really helped us fight for a medal - and get a medal.'
"It was a really difficult day, very strong winds but Eve made three solid races," said Zbogar who won silver for Slovenia at this venue in the 2009 Beijing Olympics. "She is sailing really well and we're looking forward to the days and months of competition ahead."
In the ILCA 7 men's event, Carlow's Finn Lynch (National Yacht Club) bounced back from a faltering start on Friday with three top six results including second place in the final race. He finished 15th overall though a longer regatta would likely have seen him in a more familiar top ten result.
Teammate Ewan McMahon (Howth YC) counted a ninth and a tenth in their 138-boat event to finish 19th overall and just four points behind Lynch. Like his sister, his regatta counts only top 10 results reflecting a very close points difference at the top of the fleet.
"This is another truly historic moment for Irish Sailing. Eve is the first female sailor to win a senior world championship medal' commented James O'Callaghan, Irish Sailing's Performance Director. "Massive credit goes to Eve's determination and coach team of Vasilij Zbogar and Rory Fitzpatrick."
Meanwhile, on her first senior level world championship, Sienna Wright (Howth YC) ended in an impressive mid-fleet position though a ninth place in her opening race on Friday plus several top 20 results are indicators of her growing form.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

'I am buzzing' - Lara Gillespie part of history-making Irish trio at women's Tour de France
'I am buzzing' - Lara Gillespie part of history-making Irish trio at women's Tour de France

RTÉ News​

time23 minutes ago

  • RTÉ News​

'I am buzzing' - Lara Gillespie part of history-making Irish trio at women's Tour de France

Lara Gillespie has been in a race against time to make it to the Tour de France Femmes but, following her recovery from a bad injury, she will make history in the race on Saturday afternoon. The women's Tour de France begins in Vannes, Brittany and, for the first time ever, there will be an Irish presence. In fact not one but three Irish riders will take part: Gillespie, current national champion Mia Griffin and last year's title holder Fiona Mangan. This is the fourth edition of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, but Irish women were also absent from the previous women's race run by the Tour organisers between 1984 and 1989. The event is the biggest race on the women's calendar, and has greatly helped the growth of the women's side of the sport, and gives Gillespie a lot of satisfaction be lining out in it. "I am buzzing to be one of the first Irish girls to be at the Tour, so that is really exciting to be part of," she told RTÉ Sport on Friday. "I'm happy to see Fiona and Mia in there and we can experience this whirlwind together." Gillespie has long shown her talent on the track, taking European championship titles at junior, under 23 and Elite level. The Enniskerry rider was, along with Griffin, part of the Irish team pursuit squad which finished a fine ninth in last year's Olympics. She is an accomplished road race rider too, and secured a contract with the UAE Team ADQ WorldTour-level squad last summer following victory in the Antwerp Port Epic Ladies race, plus the Giro Mediterraneo Rosa. This season has been a very promising one for the 24-year-old, with strong results in a number of races. She was runner up in the Fenix Omloop van het Hageland, and third in both Le Samyn des Dames and the Danilith Nokere Koerse. In May she was fourth on a stage of the Vuelta España Femenina, one of the biggest races in the sport. "I am super grateful and feel really privileged to be part of the team," she said of her selection for the Tour de France Femmes. "It is a really great opportunity and a great team we have here." However, she almost missed the chance. In mid-June, Gillespie fell in the Elmos Dwars door het Hageland race. She remounted and was able to sprint in 12th, but after the race it became clear that something was amiss. "I had an unfortunate crash over a month ago where I landed on my sacrum," she said. "I had fluid in the bone. I didn't break anything, but I had to really rest a lot from the races." Trying to get ready for the Tour, she went to Spain with her first coach, Martin O'Loughlin. They worked hard together and she quickly built form. "I had a really nice ten days in Majorca, with Martin motorpacing me," she said. "That was really cool. I knew if I left that camp sprinting good, doing high intensity, doing high volume then I could get through to the team. "So that is what happened, and so I am here with a really strong team, really good energy. We are ready to fight for some stages, so that is really cool." The 24-year-old is a strong sprinter and will relish the opportunity to square up against the world's best such as the Dutchwoman Lorena Wiebes. Stages one and two are lumpy and feature uphill finishes which may favor different types of riders, but days three and four are predicted to end in bunch gallops. From there things get progressively more mountainous, meaning sprint specialist Gillespie's best chances of high placing will be in the first half of the race. Griffin (Roland Le Dévoluy) and Mangan (Winspace Orange Seal) will also be looking forward to those early stages, with aims of helping their teams but also trying to show their own strength too. There is an additional goal for the trio; building up vital experience in the sport's top event in order to grow as competitors and to become even stronger. And making history for Irish cycling? That's a significant motivation too. Tour de France Femmes schedule: Stage 1, Saturday 26 July: Vannes to Plumelec, 78.8 km (49 miles) Stage 2, Sunday 27 July: Brest to Quimper, 110.4 km (68.6 miles) Stage 3, Monday 28 July: La Gacilly to Angers, 163.5 km (101.6 miles) Stage 4, Tuesday 29 July: Saumur to Poitiers, 130.7 km (81.2 miles) Stage 5, Wednesday 30 July: Chasseneuil-du-Poitou to Guéret, 165.8 km (103 miles) Stage 6, Thursday 31 July: Clermont-Ferrand to Ambert, 123.7 km (76.9 miles) Stage 7, Friday 1 August: Bourg-en-Bresse to Chambéry, 159.7 km (99.2 miles) Stage 8, Saturday 2 August: Chambéry to Saint François Longchamp – Col de la Madelaine, 111.9 km (69.5 miles) Stage 9, Sunday 3 August Praz-Sur-Arly to Châtel Les Portes du Soleil Pré Lajoux, 124.1 km (77.1 miles)

Gearóid McDaid 'stoked' after historic European Surfing Championships gold
Gearóid McDaid 'stoked' after historic European Surfing Championships gold

RTÉ News​

time23 minutes ago

  • RTÉ News​

Gearóid McDaid 'stoked' after historic European Surfing Championships gold

Irish surfer Gearóid McDaid described his landmark European Championship-winning triumph as a "dream come true" after claiming gold in the men's shortboard. The Sligo man's triumph in the European Surfing Championships in Santa Cruz, Portugal on Thursday made him the first Irish surfer to win a continental medal. McDaid's efforts, coupled with a bronze medal for Ruby Knox in the women's longboard and Tom Breene's fourth place in the men's longboard, also meant that Team Ireland finished third overall, which marks a historic maiden team podium for the country, with Spain and Portugal finishing first and second respectively. "So stoked to win the European Championships. After coming second last time, it's an absolute dream come true to take the win this year. Having my parents here to share it made it even more special," McDaid said of his victory, having taken silver at the 2023 championships.

Harrington leads Senior Open, Maguire in contention in Scotland
Harrington leads Senior Open, Maguire in contention in Scotland

The 42

timean hour ago

  • The 42

Harrington leads Senior Open, Maguire in contention in Scotland

IRELAND'S PÁDRAIG HARRINGTON holds a one-shot lead at the Senior Open, while Leona Maguire is in contention in the Women's Scottish Open. The 53-year-old is eight under par at the Sunningdale Old Course in Berkshire at the tournament's halfway point. Harrington began the day four shots off the lead and tied for fifth after an opening 67. Advertisement The Dubliner's second-round 65 ensured he finished the day as clubhouse leader, ahead of Denmark's Thomas Bjorn and KJ Choi of South Korea, who are tied for second. Harrington managed a bogey-free round, with birdies on the first, ninth, 11th, 15th and 18th holes to complete an excellent day's work. The Irish star won the US Senior Open for the second time last month and has had near misses at the Senior Open in the past, with back-to-back runners-up finishes in 2022 and 2023. View the leaderboard here Meanwhile, at the Women's Scottish Open, Maguire trails the clubhouse leader Lottie Woad by six shots. The Cavan native is tied for eighth alongside Spain's Nuria Iturrioz on six-under-par. The 30-year-old put herself in contention with a five-under-par opening round 67. Friday's 71, in a round that included just one bogey on the opening hole and back-to-back birdies on the ninth and 10th, left Maguire with work to do to catch the English star and reigning Irish Open champion. Denmark's Nanna Koerstz Madsen and American Nelly Korda share second on 10 under-par, while Maguire also trails the Korean trio Kim Sei-young (-9), Kim Hyo-joo (-8) and Ina Yoon (-7), as well as Japan's Minami Katsu (-7).

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store