SINEAD JENNINGS’ place at the 2016 Olympic Games was today confirmed by the Olympic Council of Ireland.
The 39-year-old rower from Letterkenny will compete in the lightweight women’s double scull with Claire Lambe in Rio.
For 16 years, the Olympic flame has burned inside Jennings’ head and now, finally, she’ll realise the dream of a lifetime.
A doctor and a mother to three daughters, Jennings took a career break to keep her Olympic bid on track.
[adrotate group=”37″]In 2001, Jennings won a World Single Sculls gold medal in Lucerne.
At the recent European Rowing Championships, Jennings and Lambe came third in the B final of the women’s lightweight sculls in Brandenburg.
Last September, the pair qualified the boat for Rio when they came third in the B final at Aiguebelette in France of the World Rowing Championships.
They finished behind China and Poland, but did enough to book the boat’s spot in Rio.
[adrotate group=”67″]There had been worry and anxiety when it emerged that it was the boat – as opposed to the actual rowers – that had qualified.
Jennings and Lambe had been fastest in training and were always in command of the spot with confirmation today by the OCI putting any doubts to bed,
Jennings’ husband, Sam Lynch, rowed for Ireland at the 1996 and 2004 Olympics.
Jennings had bid to qualify for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, but never got the chance to get to the qualifying regatta and she turned her mind to track cycling and just missed out of reaching London 2012.
Having returned to the water, Jennings has finally proved that persistence does pay off in the end.
Chloe Magee’s place in Ri0 was also confirmed by the OCI today.
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