Ad Astra sailing ace Eve McMahon wins gold at LA Grand Slam
17 July 2025
UCD Ad Astra Elite Sports Scholar Eve McMahon has claimed the gold medal in the ILCA 6 class at the LA Grand Slam.
One of World Sailing’s four prestigious Grand Slam series events, the LA Grand Slam took place off Long Beach, California, where the Olympic sailing competition will be hosted in three years’ time.
McMahon’s victory marks an important step towards the 2028 Olympic Games.
The 21-year-old from Howth, Co. Dublin, began the final day of racing in second place before ultimately taking the lead from Great Britain’s Hannah Snellgrove.
“Racing on the future Olympic waters is really motivating and I really wanted to go out there today to see what I could do, so I’m very happy with how I performed and that I was able to come away with the gold,” said McMahon, who is studying International Commerce at UCD.
“This event gave us a real taste of what LA 2028 will feel like.”
MEDAL ALERT 🚨
— Irish Sailing (@Irish_Sailing) (opens in a new window)July 16, 2025
Eve McMahon claims Gold in LA!
McMahon has won the fourth Sailing Grand Slam of the season at the Long Beach Olympic Classes Regatta in the ILCA 6 Class ✨🥇(opens in a new window)#GreenTideRising 💚🌊 (opens in a new window)pic.twitter.com/CiZAzxxNH5
McMahon’s success comes two months after she won bronze at the ILCA World Championships in China, making her the first ever Irish female sailor to be medalled at a senior world championship. She also became the first Irish sailor to achieve a number one spot in the World Sailing rankings this year.
In 2024, McMahon represented Ireland at the Paris Olympic Games, and was named UCD’s Sportsperson of the Year. She has been shortlisted for RTÉ Young Sportsperson of the Year three times, and was awarded Afloat’s Sailor of the Year in 2023.
The Ad Astra Elite Sports Scholarship programme at UCD supports students who are competing and succeeding at the highest sporting levels.
By: Rebecca Hastings, Digital Journalist, UCD University Relations
To contact the UCD News & Content Team, email: newsdesk@ucd.ie
