With a remarkable skill and determination display, the Irish Water Safety team made a big splash at this year’s European Junior Lifesaving Championships.
Ireland won five gold medals, ten silver medals and nine bronze medals at the championships.
The European Junior Lifesaving Championships were held in Gorzow Wielkopolski and Meidzyzdroje, Poland from 20th August – 27th August.
The team of young lifesavers from Ireland competed against their European counterparts, and their impressive performance earned them a haul of 24 medals and a strong sixth-place finish overall.
Ireland placed sixth in Europe in the overall combined pool and beach competitions.
“We are very proud of the lifesavers who competed against their European counterparts and represented Ireland with such distinction,” commented Simon McGarrigle, Chair of the Water Safety Ireland Sport Commission. “Ireland has a long tradition of competing in international lifesaving competitions, and this year’s success is a testament to all the hard work by the lifesavers and coaches all year round.”
The championships simulate real-life rescue situations that lifeguards can expect to encounter and pit the best Junior Lifesavers from around Europe against each other in a series of gruelling water rescue scenarios in both pool and beach environments. The competition is an annual event open to those aged 18 and under, and it’s organized under the aegis of International Lifesaving Europe (ILSE), which controls the sport worldwide.
The sport of lifesaving exists to encourage lifesavers to maintain the skills, drills, and physical fitness required for performing their lifesaving duties. The sport is truly multi-disciplined and takes place in the pool, on the beach, and in the ocean, with close ties to swimming, athletics, kayaking, rowing, surfing and power boating, and is based on the equipment and skills that lifeguards use to perform lifesaving rescues.
Many of Team Ireland’s Junior Lifesavers will further hone their skills this weekend by taking to the waters for their perspective county teams at the National Junior Open Water Championships in Mullaghmore, Co. Sligo (Saturday 2nd & Sunday 3rd September). Junior lifesaving competitors typically become top Lifeguards, patrolling beaches and pools in Ireland and abroad.
Medal Winners Were:
Gold:
- Leana Liddane won Gold in the Swim Race
- Oisin O’Grady and Ferdia Hayes won Gold in the Board Rescue
- Amy Noble and Leana Liddane won Gold in the Board Rescue
Silver:
- Leana Liddane won Silver in the Board Race
- Leana Liddane won Silver in the Oceanman/Oceanwoman
- Amy Noble, Katie Cotter, Elin Blake and Lily Sheehy won Silver in the Tube Rescue
- Amy Noble, Jamie Flynn, Leana Liddane and Finn Harris won Silver in the Mixed Ocean Relay
Bronze:
- Ferdia Hayes won Bronze in the Oceanman/Oceanwoman
- Jamie Flynn, Charlie Brennan, Oisin O’Grady and Cailim Van Dam won bronze in the Tube Rescue
- Oisin O’Grady, Finn Harris, Jamie Flynn and Cailim Van Dam won bronze in the Beach Sprint Relay
Team Members:
- Leana Liddane - Clare
- Elin Blake - Clare
- Lily Sheehy - Wicklow
- Amy Noble - Wicklow
- Saoirse Dolan - Wicklow
- Katie Cotter - Cork
- Oisin OGrady - Clare
- Ferdia Hayes - Clare
- Cailim Van Dam - Cork
- Finn Harris - Wicklow=
- Charlie Brennan - Wicklow
- Jamie Flynn - Waterford
