With over 100 athletes travelling, this will be Ireland’s largest ever team competing at an Olympic Games.The Ministers were speaking at the National Sports Campus in Blanchardstown at the socially-distanced “Wave-off” event for the departing athletes. In attendance also were Peter Sherrard, CEO of the Olympic Federation of Ireland, Sarah Keane, President of Olympic Federation of Ireland and John Treacy, CEO of Sport Ireland. Representing the Irish Olympic Team were Billy Dardis, Captain of the Irish Rugby Sevens team and athlete Michelle Finn, who will be competing in the 3000m steeplechase.
Minister Chambers said:“This team that we are sending, our largest ever team, represent the culmination of years of investment and hard work by people across the sporting sector.With the recent publication of the Sport Ireland High Performance Strategy setting out our ambitions and funding plans for the next decade, the future of Irish high performance sport looks bright, despite all the challenges that this last year has brought”
Minister Martin said:“To be sending our largest team ever, with a nearly 50/50 gender balance, is a strong indicator of the success of our work in Sport and the effectiveness of funding we have been providing to high performance and women’s sport.Many of our athletes have already departed for Tokyo, and we wish them all the best as they go through the necessary public health measures”