Madison Corcoran
Age: 21
Event: Canoeing (K1 slalom, kayak cross)
Club: Potomac WW Racing Centre
Previous Games: None
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Twins Madison and Michaela Corcoran came by their love of canoeing honestly, their father Mike having represented Ireland in the sport at the 1992 and 1996 Olympic Games. Born in Texas after he emigrated to the United States, they were introduced to canoeing by him not a whole lot longer after they learnt to walk. It is Madison who will follow in his Olympic footsteps four years after she declared for the country of his birth, having represented the States until then, sealing her qualification when she finished 23rd at the European Games last year.
Noel Hendrick
Age: 26
Event: Canoeing (K1 slalom, kayak cross)
Club: Ribbontail Paddlers
Previous Games: None
Quirkily enough, Ireland had two sets of twins vying for a canoeing place in Paris, but just as Madison Corcoran’s sister Michaela missed out, Noel Hendrick’s twin Robert was narrowly denied qualification too. It’s Noel, then, who will represent the Kildare clan this summer. He sealed his spot with a 16th place finish at last September’s Canoe Slalom World Championships, becoming the first Irish man to qualify for the event since Eoin Rheinisch in London 2012 – and Rheinisch has been his coach along the way.
Liam Jegou
Age: 28
Event: Canoeing (C1 slalom)
Club: CADPA Huningue (France)
Previous Games: Tokyo 2020
Born in Brittany to an Irish mother and French father before moving to Switzerland, Co Clare and then back to France, Jegou has got around. En route, he made history by becoming the first Irish gold medallist in a canoe slalom World Cup event, having already shown his promise by winning silver at the 2014 World Junior Championships in Australia. This will be his second Olympic Games having made it to Tokyo where he had travelled with hopes of a medal. But after a blistering start to his semi-final, he picked up two 50 second time penalties, putting paid to his chances of reaching the final. He goes again.
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