‘This is a truly historic moment' – Ireland's Eve McMahon secures bronze medal at world sailing championships
This marks the first time an Irish female sailor has reached the podium at the Senior World Championships, a remarkable milestone for the 22-year-old.
McMahon, who already boasts two consecutive U21 World Championship titles, delivered a consistently strong performance throughout the series, finishing third behind France's Louise Cervera and Poland's Agata Barwinska who won gold and sliver respectively.
The result represents a major breakthrough for McMahon, who made her Olympic debut in Paris last summer after just two years competing at the senior level. Her campaign in Qingdao saw her place within the top six in all six races of the 99-boat event, while skillfully avoiding penalties — a sharp contrast to previous events where avoidable mistakes proved costly.
"We were struggling in the last few events, but we've worked really hard to fix that before coming to China," said Irish Sailing coach Vasilij Zbogar. 'We spent time training in Lymington with the British team, especially in tidal currents, and that helped us not just fight for a medal — but win one.'
'It was a really tough day with strong winds, but Eve managed three solid races,' added Zbogar, who himself won an Olympic silver medal for Slovenia in Qingdao during the 2008 Beijing Games. 'She's sailing at a very high level, and we're excited for what's ahead.'
In the ILCA 7 men's division, Carlow's Finn Lynch (National Yacht Club) recovered from a slow start on Friday with three top-six finishes, including second place in the final race. He climbed to 15th overall in the 138-boat fleet, with his late surge suggesting a longer regatta might have seen him finish inside the top ten.
Ewan McMahon (Howth YC), Eve's brother, also delivered a strong showing. He ended 19th overall, just four points behind Lynch, with all his race finishes inside the top ten — a reflection of the tight competition at the top.
'This is another truly historic moment for Irish sailing,' said James O'Callaghan, Irish Sailing's Performance Director. 'Eve is the first Irish female sailor to win a senior world championship medal. Massive credit goes to her commitment and to her coaching team, Vasilij Zbogar and Rory Fitzpatrick.'
Meanwhile, in her debut senior world championship, Sienna Wright (Howth YC) posted a commendable mid-fleet finish. A standout ninth-place in her opening race and several top-20 results point to a promising future for the young sailor.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Independent
5 hours ago
- Irish Independent
Paul Kimmage: Old friends Geordan Murphy and Matt Hampson are still bringing out the best in each other
But by Tuesday, he had joined up with Clive Woodward's 45-man Lions squad in the plush Vale of Glamorgan Hotel just outside Cardiff, about to embark on the trip of a lifetime to New Zealand. Then yesterday, he was named in the first Lions side to play on British or Irish soil, for the pre-tour warm-up game against Argentina at the Millenium Stadium next Monday.
Irish Independent
5 hours ago
- Irish Independent
Rúaidhrí O'Connor: The IRFU need to balance their books while protecting the golden goose
On Friday night, a packed Aviva Stadium waved the most Irish-influenced Lions in history off on their mission to Australia with Andy Farrell, four of his assistant coaches, 16 of his players and a swathe of support staff on board. The men's national team won seven of their nine internationals this season with all of their home games sold out, while the women's team continued their steady improvement towards this year's World Cup. Leinster played Munster at a sold-out Croke Park and went on to win the URC and reach a European semi-final. At a glance, Irish rugby has never been in a stronger position.
RTÉ News
6 hours ago
- RTÉ News
Pope Leo gifted GAA jersey during audience at the Vatican
Pope Leo has been gifted a special GAA jersey during a recent audience at the Vatican for the Jubilee of Sport. Catherine Hallinan and Niamh Ryan are from Ireland and Katie Molloy is from New York. All three are members of the Rome Hibernia Gaelic Athletic Association and have been living in Rome for a number of years. They were thrilled to catch the attention of the Pope when they gathered with dozens of other groups and managed to get front row seats. Ms Molloy recalled how he waved over at the three expats: "We were able to pass on our special Jubilee of Sport jersey. We got the Jubilee logo printed on the sleeve, written 'as gaeilge'." Ms Ryan is a teacher from the village of Ballybricken in Limerick and has enjoyed a stellar GAA career with her home county. "For me, the GAA lives out the Jubilee of Sport theme through its strong emphasis on teamwork, which helps bring people together. "We have six different languages on our team so the game unites this group of people together, despite your background or wherever you come from," she added. Ms Hallinan is from Clonmel in Tipperary and says there is a close relationship between faith and sport. "There are as many GAA pitches as churches in Ireland," she joked before continuing. "The GAA and our religion went hand in hand in keeping the Irish identity alive through a long, and at times, troubled history," she added. She says the GAA is more relevant than ever today. "Sport brings people together from all walks of life and our men and women's teams travel all around Europe competing," she said. Ms Hallinan said it was lovely to hear Pope Leo mention Ireland during his greetings at the Vatican. She said now that he has a special jersey, they will make him an honorary member of the GAA!
