Offaly athlete set for European Youth Olympics
Offaly athlete Cian Crampton is preparing to compete in the European Youth Olympic Festival (EYOF) in Slovenia later this month.
A member of Edenderry AC, Crampton was selected by the Olympic Federation of Ireland as one of 42 athletes who will compete across five sports.
It won't the first time for discus athlete Cian to compete in this event as he also took part in the 2022 edition in Slovakia.
The EYOF is the largest European multi-sport event for young athletes between the ages of 14 and 17 and generally occurs every two years. This year it takes place in Maribor, Slovenia and will run from July 23–29.
The EYOF is a prestigious event that plays an important role in the overall development of athletes, as it mimics the Olympic Games model, preparing athletes for the nuances of performing in a multi-sport environment. This year’s event will see 48 countries across Europe participate in the event, with approximately 3,600 athletes competing.
Team Ireland athletes who have been selected for this year’s event gathered at the official team day earlier this week, where they picked up their kit, and took part in team bonding events, along with their parents and coaches. They also heard from Tokyo Olympian Louise Shanahan, who won a gold medal in the 800m, ten years ago at the EYOF in Utrecht, Netherlands.
Announcing the team, Olympic Federation of Ireland Chef de Mission for the EYOF, Nancy Chillingworth said: "The EYOF is Europe’s largest multi-discipline event for young athletes, and it is a vital step for Team Ireland athletes on the Olympic pathway. This is an eager young group, with a mix of those travelling to their first multi-sport event and some who competed in the postponed EYOF last year, so we know that they are ambitious and will learn a lot.
"EYOF is also a great opportunity for coaches and support staff to learn and that mix of first-time and experience is evident within both the sport-specific coaches, as well as the performance support team which is led by Julianne Ryan, from the Sport Ireland Institute. I have no doubt that the athletes will have a wonderful experience and we are looking forward to supporting them to achieve their goals”.
The Irish team departs for Maribor on July 21 with competition starting on July 24.
Previous medal winners from the EYOF include leading Irish athletes such as Rhasidat Adeleke, Ciara Mageean, Lara Gillespie and Sarah Lavin.