Eve McMahon
Age: 20
Event: Sailing (Dinghy)
Club: Howth Yacht Club
Previous Games: None
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The UCD business student comes from a family steeped in sailing, starting courses in the sport when she was just seven. She was intent on following in the footsteps of Annalise Murphy, the 2016 Olympic silver medallist who has been both a coach and mentor. McMahon has enjoyed immense success at junior and youth level, winning world and European titles along the way but, given her relative inexperience in the senior ranks, LA 2028 might be a more realistic target for a spot on the podium. But the Dubliner will, no doubt, believe she can achieve that feat this time around.
Finn Lynch
Age: 28
Event: Sailing (Dinghy)
Club: The National Yacht Club, Dún Laoghaire
Previous Games: Rio 2016
Until 16, the Carlow man divided his sporting time between Gaelic football, rugby and sailing, his father introducing him to the latter sport on the lakes of Blessington. So talented did he prove to be, he focused on it thereafter, and just four years later he qualified for his first Olympics, the youngest Irish sailor to do so. He missed out on Tokyo, though, but his form since has been impressive, the highlight coming in Athens in February when he won bronze at the European Championships. Ranked in the world’s top 10, he is a genuine medal hope this summer.
Robert Dickson
Age: 26
Event: Sailing (Skiff)
Club: Howth Yacht Club
Previous Games: Tokyo 2020
After Dickson and Sean Waddilove’s experience in Tokyo three years ago, they’ll most probably head for Paris believing their fortunes must surely improve. The pair were seventh overall in the standings for the skiff 49er class after four races and were eyeing a medal when they received a two-race disqualification because their harness was overweight by a mere 90 grams. That put paid to their medal hopes, the north Dubliners winning their final race but finishing 13th overall. But they’re back, and hoping the gods smile more kindly on them this time around – and that they get their weights right.
Sean Waddilove
Age: 27
Event: Sailing (Skiff)
Club: Skerries Sailing Club
Previous Games: Tokyo 2020
The Skerries man and Robert Dickson have been sailing together for over a decade, getting to know each other during a transition-year break in La Rochelle where they both pursued their passion for sailing. By 2018, they were under-23 49er world champions, their triumph achieved in, of all places, Marseilles – the venue for sailing at this summer’s Olympics. Their Tokyo woes made them all the more determined to earn another crack at the Games, and it was mission accomplished at the 49er European Championships back in November where they finished eighth overall – an admirable achievement considering both men had struggled with illness in the months before.
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