Three Mayo athletes on Team Ireland selection for European Youth Olympic Festival

The Olympic Federation of Ireland has today named 42 athletes who will compete across five sports in the Summer European Youth Olympic Festival (EYOF), taking place later this month.

Among them are three Mayo athletes: distance runner Clodagh Gill (3,000m) and race walker Seamus Clarke (5,000m), both from Ballina, along with tennis player Eoghan Jennings (boys singles and doubles), from Westport.

The EYOF is the largest European multi-sport event for young athletes between the ages of 14 and 17 and generally occurs every two years. This year it takes place in Maribor, Slovenia, and will run from July 23 to 29

A prestigious event that plays an important role in the overall development of athletes, the EYOF mimics the Olympic Games model, preparing athletes for the nuances of performing in a multi-sport environment. This year’s event will see 48 countries across Europe participate, with approximately 3,600 athletes competing.

Team Ireland athletes who have been selected for this year’s event gathered at the official team day earlier this week, where they picked up their kit and took part in team bonding events, along with their parents and coaches. They also heard from Tokyo Olympian Louise Shanahan, who won a gold medal in the 800m (athletics) 10 years ago at the EYOF in Utrecht, Netherlands. Fresh from a successful campaign, she shared her invaluable games experience and insights with the young athletes before their departure.

Announcing the team, Olympic Federation of Ireland Chef de Mission for the EYOF, Nancy Chillingworth, commented: “The EYOF is Europe’s largest multi-discipline event for young athletes, and it is a vital step for Team Ireland athletes on the Olympic pathway. This is an eager young group with a mix of those travelling to their first multi-sport event and some who competed in the postponed EYOF last year, so we know that they are ambitious and will learn a lot.

“EYOF is also a great opportunity for coaches and support staff to learn and that mix of first-time and experience is evident within both the sport-specific coaches as well as the performance support team, which is led by Julianne Ryan from the Sport Ireland Institute.

“I have no doubt that the athletes will have a wonderful experience and we are looking forward to supporting them to achieve their goals.”

Speaking at the team day, Shanahan, who is also a qualified quantum physicist, stated: “It was great to be able to share my insights from my own EYOF experience with the athletes. The learnings that you get from these multi-games experiences at a young age really set you up for senior events.

“I remember walking into the Tokyo village in 2021, and I knew what to expect having been in Utrecht. The biggest thing that they can come away with from these games is their learnings, and that will help them progress through the ranks with more ease.”

The Irish team departs for Maribor on July 21, with competition starting on July 24.

Previous medal winners from the EYOF include many of Team Ireland’s top performers like Rhasidat Adeleke, Ciara Mageean, Lara Gillespie and Sarah Lavin.