Paralympics 2024: Alum Colin Judge will carry the flag for Ireland at Paris Games
Posted 23 August, 2024
This is the second Paralympics for UCD alum Colin Judge, who will compete in the table tennis in Paris Credit: Sportsfile
Table tennis star and UCD alum Colin Judge will be a flag bearer for Team Ireland at the 2024 Paralympic Games at the opening ceremony alongside 100m sprinter Orla Comerford.
“We are so proud that one of our former Ad Astra Elite athletes will carry the Irish flag during the opening ceremony for the Paralympics,” said UCD President Professor Orla Feely.
“Colin is one of four UCD alumni who will compete in Paris, with Katie O'Brien in rowing, Kerrie Leonard in archery, and Martin Gordon in cycling.
“Their achievements are an inspiration to our students and our entire university community.”
“We wish them every success as they pursue their Paralympic dreams,” she added
Paris will be the Paralympic debut of Katie O'Brien, a former member of the UCD Rowing Club Credit: Sportsfile
Neasa Russell, Team Ireland Paris Chef de Mission said “[Colin and Orla] epitomise the hard work and dedication it takes to be a high-performance athlete”.
“They have both achieved great things on the international stage and there is much more to come from both of them.
“Moreover, they are great people and great leaders who perfectly demonstrate the qualities and values of Team Ireland, and I know they will both be very positive role models for the team and for those watching at home.”
| Alum | Sport | Event Date | Academic Programme | Scholarship |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colin Judge | Para Table Tennis | Sunday, September 1st | Actuarial & Financial Studies (2017) | Ad Astra Academy Elite |
| Katie O'Brien | Para Rowing | Friday, August 30th | Veterinary Medicine (2020) | |
| Kerrie Leonard | Para Archery | Thursday, August 29th | MSc Marketing (2019) | |
| Martin Gordon | Para Cycling | Thursday, August 29th - B4 Men’s 4000m Individual Pursuit, Road Sunday, September 1st - B 1000m Time Trial, Track |
Prof Cert In Compliance (2019) |
The four graduates from University College Dublin are among the 35 athletes representing Ireland arriving in France ahead of the opening ceremony at the Place de la Concorde on August 29.
A recipient of an Ad Astra scholarship while he studied in UCD, Colin won double gold (singles and team) at the Polish Open in 2020, and double bronze (singles and team) at the Spanish Open the same year.
He qualified for Tokyo by winning a bronze medal at the World Qualifying Tournament, and again won bronze medals at the European Championships and the French Open in 2023 and silver at the Czech Open in 2024
Kerrie Leonard is making her second appearance at a Paralympic Games in Paris Credit: Sportsfile
In action on day one, Meath native Kerrie Leonard will compete in the W2 Individual Compound Open.
Since 2012, she has represented Ireland at the last three World Archery Championships and did so too at the Tokyo Games in 2020.
Also competing on August 29 in tandem cycling will be Martin Gordon who graduated from the Cycling Ireland Para-Cycling development team to compete at his first Para-Cycling Track World Championships in 2017.
Martin Gordon first represented Ireland at the Para-cycling World Championships in 2017 and competed in the Tokyo Paralympic Games Credit: Sportsfile
A former member of the UCD Rowing Club, Katie O'Brien will row with Tiarnán O’ Donnell for the 2024 Paralympic Games.
The Galway native won her first World Championship Medal at the 2019 World Rowing Championships in Linz, securing bronze in the PR2 W1x category.
In 2022, she won gold at the World Rowing Championships, setting a new world record in the PR2 W1x.
By: David Kearns, Digital Journalist / Media Officer, UCD University Relations
To contact the UCD News & Content Team, email: newsdesk@ucd.ie
