TWO Sport NI supported riders, Erin Creighton and Alice Sharpe, have helped secure a historic first ever Olympic qualification for Ireland’s Women’s Pursuit Team.
Sport NI Athlete Award recipient Erin and two time Irish National Road Race champion Alice receive support from the Sport NI Sports Institute through nutrition and performance analysis.
The milestone achievement by the cyclists, confirmed at the conclusion of the successful qualification period on April 15, places Ireland among the elite nations in track cycling and marks a significant progression for the Irish Track squad.
Attention now turns to nominating the team to the Olympic Federation of Ireland (OFI), which will select the final team for the Paris Olympic Games. The team will also participate in a pre-games training camp in Majorca to fine-tune their preparations before the Games.
The Track Cycling events at the 2024 Olympic Games will take place from August 5-11.
Erin (19), from Co Antrim, said: “I started university last year, but with the chance of going to the Olympics, I’ve actually taken a year out. I’m determined to make the most of this year, train really hard and hopefully get some good results. Next year I’ll be looking for a road team that races in Europe to develop as a road rider also. I definitely want to do road and track together.
“I know I’m still so young and hopefully I‘ll have more chances to go to the Olympics but you don’t really know what’s going to happen in the future, so I have to make the most of this opportunity while I have it.
“Coming into the squad, the girls are so talented, and I only started track when they were already the big names in cycling. It’s really cool to be training with them and learning from them as well. Everyone gets on so well, it’s such a great team to be a part of. I’m looked at as the baby of the team – everyone looks out for me and gives me advice and pointers as to what I should be doing.
“The girls are all just protective of me and they’ve really warned me that cycling isn’t all just rainbows and winning jerseys. You really have to grind and work at it. They’ve opened my eyes to the work that really is involved, and they’ve shown me that the work does pay off eventually.
“I think this year is a ‘no pressure’ environment for me to learn and grow as an athlete. As much as it’s hard work training with these girls who’ve been doing it for years, it’s a great opportunity for me to learn in this fast-paced environment.
“All the coaches within the High-Performance Unit have been so supportive and understanding of my situation that I’m not always going to keep up with the girls who’ve been doing it for many years. Everyone has been so supportive and they’re looking out for me in a long-term way.”
Erin Creighton
Alice Sharpe
