UCD athletes at Rio 2016

Posted May 30, 2016

Eight UCD athletes are poised to represent Ireland in the Rio 2016 Olympics. They compete across a range of sports including: men’s 800 metres; women’s 1,500 metres; men’s lightweight double sculls rowing; men’s hockey; women’s 800 metres; modern pentathlon; women’s lightweight double sculls rowing; and men’s hockey.

“It’s an incredible success for a university to have eight athletes competing and they will prove to be excellent ambassadors for UCD on the world stage,” said Professor Colin Boreham, Director of the UCD Ad Astra Sports Programme.

“UCD and the Ad Astra Academy can be justly proud of these superb young athletes in achieving the pinnacle of sporting success while maintaining their academic standards,”

“The UCD Ad Astra Academy would not be possible without the support of our benefactors. We congratulate our athletes on their fantastic achievement and wish them all the best for the tough challenges ahead in Rio.”

UCD’s Nicola Muscat will compete for Malta in the 50m freestyle at the Rio Olympics. She holds seventeen Maltese national records and raced at the London Olympics.

Updated: August 09, 2016

Mark English

Men's 800 metres

• 4th year Medicine student and Ad Astra Sport Scholar
• From Letterkenny, Co. Donegal
• European Indoor silver medallist, 2015 and holds the Irish Senior Indoor 800m record (1.46.82)
• Ranked 15th in the world at 800m

(opens in a new window)Tweets by @markenglish_

Ciara Mageean

Women's 1,500 metres

• 4th year Pyhsiotherapy student and Ad Astra Sport Scholar
• From Portaferry, Co. Down
• Irish Indoor Mile record holder (4.28.40)
• Ranked 36th in the world at 1,500

(opens in a new window)Tweets by @ciaramageean

P‌aul O'Donovan

Men's Lightweight Double Sculls Rowing

• 4th year Physiotherapy student and Ad Astra Sport Scholar 
• From Skibbereen, Co Cork
• Gold at European Rowing Championships 2016
• Brothers Paul and Gary O’Donovan will represent Ireland in this discipline

(opens in a new window)Tweets by @PaulO_Donovan

Shane O'Donoghue

Men's Hockey

• Sport and Exercise Management graduate and Ad Astra Sport Scholar
• From Knocklyon, Dublin
• Nominated for the World Player of the Year Award in 2015
• The Irish men’s hockey team will be the first Irish hockey team to compete at an Olympics since 1908

(opens in a new window)Tweets by @shaneod16

Ciara Everard

Women's 800 metres

• Completed her Masters in Sports Physiotherapy and Ad Astra Sport Scholar
• From Kilkenny, Co. Kilkenny
• Irish Indoor 800m record holder (2.02.54)
• Ranked 60th in the world at 800m

(opens in a new window)Tweets by @ciara_everard

Arthur Lanigan O’Keeffe

Modern Penthathlon

• Sport and Exercise Management student and Ad Astra Sport Scholar
• From Kilkenny, Co Kilkenny
• First Irish pentathlete to win the gold medal in the European Modern Pentathlon Championship
• Ranked 16th in the world at Men’s Modern Pentathlon

(opens in a new window)Tweets by @ArthurLOK1

Claire Lambe

Women's Lightweight Double Sculls Rowing

• UCD Mechanical Engineering graduate and Ad Astra Sport Scholar
• From Cabra, Dublin
• Irish National Champion - lightweight and senior singles, 2014 
• Claire and partner Sinead Jennings finished in third place in the lightweight double sculls B final to qualify for the Rio Olympics

(opens in a new window)Tweets by @ClaireLambe

Kirk Shimmins

Men's Hockey

• 2nd year Business and Law student and an Ad Astra Sport Scholar
• From Ballinteer, Dublin
• Member of the Irish team that won bronze at the European Hockey Championships in 2015
• The Irish Men’s Hockey team is currently ranked 14th in the world

(opens in a new window)Tweets by @kirkshimmins

By: (opens in a new window)Staff writers, UCD University Relations