Ireland's Paris 2024 qualified Eve McMahon opened her account at the ILCA 6 European Championships in Athens, Greece, today with a 21st place.
With several top rivals absent, the Howth Yacht Club teen has an excellent opportunity to build on her already impressive season.
Lithuanian sailor Viktorija Andrulyte LTU was the winner today in the Blue fleet, while Elena Vorobeva CRO did the same in the yellow one. Both sailors are also in the fight for qualifying their nations to the Olympics so it’s a double prize for them.
German sailors Julia Buesselberg GER and Pia Kuhlman GER come next with 2 points, followed by the 2023 World champion Maria Erdi HUN and Evangelia Karageorgou GRE with 3. Evangelia is also in the fight to qualify Greece for Paris 2024.
2024 World champion and reigning Olympic champion Anne-Marie Rindom DEN (1x Gold medal at the Europeans) was seventh, the 2023 World champion Maria Erdi HUN (Bronze medalist in last Europeans in Andora) was fifth and the twice Senior European champion Agata Barwinska POL, who clinched the title in 2021 and 2022 was ninth.
Several of the latest World and European Youth medalists are also competing in Athens, eager to make their mark among the Seniors. This talented group includes Ireland's McMahon, Chiara Benini ITA, Emma Mattivi ITA, Maria Vitoria Arseni ITA, Giorgia Della Valle ITA, Shai Kakon ISR, Marilena Makri CYP, Petra Marendic CRO and Ana Moncada ESP.
17 European nations have already secured qualification for the upcoming Olympic Games in ILCA 6. These nations include:
BEL, DEN, ESP, FIN, FRA, GBR, GER, HUN, IRL, ITA, NED, NOR, POL, POR*, SUI, SWE and TUR.
Fourteen European nations are yet to qualify for the Olympics, and their sailors will be competing in Athens for the two available tickets. These nations include:
BUL (1 sailor), CRO (6 sailors), CYP (2 sailors), CZE (3 sailors), EST (3 sailors), GRE (14 sailors), ISR (4 sailors), LAT (1 sailor), LTU (1 sailor), MLT (1 sailor), ROU (1 sailor), SRB (1 sailor), SLO (2 sailors) and UKR (3 sailors).
Racing is scheduled to continue daily from Monday to Friday - weather permitting - with the opening round comprising a qualification series of at least four races to decide Gold fleet.
The top ten finishers will compete for the medal race final on Friday to decide the podium.