Northern Ireland athletes prepare for Olympic challenge

With just 100 days to go until the start of the Olympic Games in Paris, some of Northern Ireland’s finest athletes are preparing to showcase their talents on the grandest stage in sport.

They are looking to join a small but proud group of medal winners who have represented both Great Britain and Ireland down through the years.

On the top step of the podium, Summer Olympic champions Lady Mary Peters and hockey players Stephen Martin and Jimmy Kirkwood.

It’s now 34 years since Northern Ireland produced a gold medalist but that may be about to change.

This will be the most talented group of athletes from Northern Ireland ever to compete at an Olympics.

Three current world champions to compete in Paris

For starters there will be three current world champions looking to add an Olympic title and that has never happened before.

Daniel Wiffen continues to break new ground and records for Irish swimming. The Magheralin distance star won three golds and broke a world record at the European Short Course Championships just before Christmas but then went on to become the first World Long Course medalist from Ireland by claiming gold in both the 800m and 1500m freestyle in February.

That makes the 22 year-old Loughborough student a very serious contender for an Olympic gold medal in both races.

The same can be said for gymnast Rhys McClenaghan. He will arrive in Paris as a double world champion after winning the last two pommel horse titles.

Of course as the Ards native found out in Tokyo three years ago, it only takes a small slip and your dream can be cruelly snatched away but on his best day there are few who can match him.

Coleraine rower Hannah Scott won her first world title in the women’s quadruple sculls last September in Belgrade. The 24 year-old has the pedigree of the Bann Rowing Club behind her.

London 2012 medalists Alan Campbell and Richard and Peter Chambers learned their rowing at the Coleraine-based club and it would come as no surprise if Scott added her name to the Roll of Honour.

At those same world championships last year, four other local rowers took home medals.

Philip Doyle, from Banbridge, is a two-time world medalist while the Fermanagh duo of Nathan Timoney and Ross Corrigan shocked the world in their first season together in the men’s pair by claiming a bronze.

Belfast’s Rebecca Shorten is a former world champion and strokes the highly fancied Great Britain’s women’s four. They showed early season promise last weekend by winning the first World Cup regatta of the season.

Aughnacloy’s Rebecca Edwards narrowly missed out on a world medal last season, finishing fourth in the women’s eight and has been given the opportunity to put together a fast boat in the pair for Paris.

Other medal contenders include boxers Michaela Walsh and Jude Gallagher who both won Commonwealth Games title two years ago.

Walsh is looking to at least emulate her brother Aidan who won bronze in Tokyo and who still has hope of qualifying for Paris.

Then there is Amy Broadhurst who now hopes to qualify for Great Britain after falling out with Irish boxing. If she succeeds there is the prospect somewhere down the line of a mouthwatering fight in Paris against defending Irish Olympic champion Kellie Harrington.

On the track Portaferry’s Ciara Mageean is coming off two of the best seasons an Irish athlete has ever had. The 31 year-old knows how to take care of herself and will hopefully arrive in Paris in the best shape of her life. If she does then anything is possible in the toughest of tough events - the women’s 1500m.

The Irish showjumping squad have had an incredible season on the World Tour and are currently leading the League of Nations standings.

Individually Derry’s Daniel Coyle has moved up to 12th in the world rankings and on board Legacy he not only should make his Olympic debut but will expect to challenge for a medal.

Rory McIlroy lost a seven man play-off for the bronze medal in Tokyo. He may not have a green jacket but who would suggest he can’t win an Olympic medal? Likewise for Stephanie Meadow in the women’s event who will partner Leona Maguire.

By the time qualification is finished there should be roughly 30-34 Northern Ireland athletes heading to the Olympics, not to make up the numbers but to genuinely compete for a medal.

These are exciting times…99 sleeps to go.