Eve McMahon, a 20-year-old sailing enthusiast, is enrolled as a Business student at UCD. Raised in a family with an avid interest in sailing, she began her sailing courses at the tender age of seven. Intrigued by the accomplishments of Annalise Murphy, the 2016 Olympic Silver Medalist, who also served as her coach and mentor, McMahon trained herself in the sport since her childhood. Inspite of her notable victories at the junior and youth levels, including world and European championships, she believes that her best shot at seizing a podium spot might be in the LA 2028, given her modest experience on a senior level. Yet, as someone from Dublin, she will not hold herself back from aspiring to make it this time.
At 28 years of age, Finn Lynch is a sailing enthusiast who represents the National Yacht Club at Dún Laoghaire. Despite his passionate involvement in Gaelic football and rugby until the age of 16, sailing was the sport his father introduced to him on the lakes of Blessington, and later became the focus of his sporting life. At 20, he was the youngest Irish participant in the Olympics. Although Tokyo 2020 was a miss for him, his recent victory of the bronze medal at the European Championships in Athens makes him a worthy contender for the world’s top 10 sailors, bringing immense hopes for the upcoming summer.
Robert Dickson, a 26-year-old sailor of the Skiff class, had previously participated in the Tokyo 2020 games. Dickson and his teammate Sean Waddilove held the seventh position in the skiff’s 49er class post four races before being disqualified over being 90 grams overweight for their harness. This resulted in the pair ending 13th overall, despite winning their final race. Undeterred by their setback, they aim to return this time with accurate weight measures and better luck.
Sean Waddilove, aged 27, shares the same aspirations as his teammate Dickson as a sailing enthusiast in the Skiff class.
The Skerries Sailing Club has been the training grounds for the sailing duo of Robert Dickson and the Skerries-based sailor. Their partnership spans over a ten-year period, which began during a gap year in La Rochelle where they immersed themselves in sailing. Their hard work turned into success when they emerged as the world champions for the under-23 49er category in 2018. Unexpectedly, their victory was sealed in Marseilles – the forthcoming summer Olympics sailing location. A disappointing stint in Tokyo 2020 intensified their desire to make a strong return at the Games. Their determination led to a successful performance at the 49er European Championships, where they secured eighth place. Notably, this commendable feat was accomplished despite both sailors battling illness in the preceding months.