Team Ireland will have strong representation in the Canoeing events at the European Games in Krakow, with eight Canoe Slalom athletes and one Canoe Sprint athlete named by the Olympic Federation of Ireland today. Jenny Egan is the sole competitor to race in the Canoe Sprint, which runs from 22 – 24 June, while six male and two female athletes will contest the Canoe Slalom event from 29 June – 2 July. The events double up as European Championships for the Canoeists, with both titles and Olympic qualifying spots available.
Egan is going into the European Games as ranked world number one in the 5000m event, an event that is not on the programme in Krakow. The Lucan racer will be competing in the K1 200m and K1 500m events, both of which are on the Olympic programme, and offer opportunities for nations to qualify for quota spots. The Canoe Sprint takes place in Kryspinow Waterway in Krakow, not far from the Canoe Slalom course.
Tokyo Olympian Liam Jegou will compete in the C1 Canoe Slalom event, alongside Robert Hendrick and Jake Cochrane. The event involves an athlete kneeling in a closed cockpit while propelling the boat with a single-bladed paddle through narrow slalom gates on a big white water. The Team Ireland Canoe Slalom athletes regularly compete and train at the Kolna Sports Centre in Krakow, where the competition will take place.
OFI Paris Scholarship recipient, Noel Hendrick, brother of Robert, competes in the K1 event, along with Alistair McCreery and Samuel Curtis. This kayaking event involves the athlete sitting on the boat with a double-bladed paddle.
Team Ireland will be represented by two female athletes in Canoe Slalom, Michaela Corcoran in the C1 event, and Madison Corcoran in the K1 event. The two sisters are the daughters of Team Ireland Olympian Mike Corcoran, who competed in Barcelona in 1992 and Atlanta in 1996 and has been a great supporter of the Irish canoeing team.
TEAM IRELAND CANOEING ATHLETES:
- Jenny Egan (Lucan, Dublin) Women’s K1 200/500
- Noel Hendrick (Donadea, Co. Kildare) Men’s K1 Canoe Slalom
- Alistair McCreery (Belfast) Men’s K1 Canoe Slalom
- Samuel Curtis (Dunboyne, Co. Meath) Men’s K1 Canoe Slalom
- Liam Jegou (Ballyvaughan, Co. Clare) Men’s C1 Canoe Slalom
- Jake Cochrane (Belfast) Men’s C1 Canoe Slalom
- Robert Hendrick (Donadea, Co. Kildare) Men’s C1 Canoe Slalom
- Madison Corcoran (Dublin/Washington, USA) Women’s K1 Canoe Slalom
- Michaela Corcoran (Dublin/Washington, USA) Women’s C1 Canoe Slalom
Team Ireland Chef de Mission for Krakow 2023, Gavin Noble said, “We have a strong team named for these Games, across all disciplines. For the slalom athletes, this is also the European Championships, so this adds an extra layer of excitement. The team represents a good mix of experienced athletes and up-and-coming talents, who we are looking forward to supporting. We are especially pleased to see the next generation of the Corcoran family coming through, with twin sisters Madison and Michaela being the daughters of Mike Corcoran who blazed a trail for Irish canoeists as the first canoe slalom Olympian for Team Ireland."
High-Performance Director with Canoeing Ireland, Jon Mackey, said: "We are excited to see what this extremely strong team of Canoe Slalom athletes are going to deliver on the European Games start line. With Olympic spots up for grabs this team of proven international performers have their sights set on this first step on the pathway to Paris 2024. Our eight athletes will be on-site in Kolna well in advance of the competition to get fully settled in and ready to perform."
Jenny Egan-Simmons
Hometown: Lucan, Co. Dublin.
Jenny comes into these Games as the current World No. 1 in the 5000m, a distance where she has been a proven medal winner, with a substantial tally of silverware over the years. This endurance talent will hopefully stand to Jenny competing in the 500m at the European Games to take the fight to the field in the last 250m.
Noel Hendrick
Hometown: Donadea, Co. Kildare.
Noel comes into 2023 off the back of a brilliant 2022. Having finished a career-best of 20th at last year's World Championships, Noel is coming into some serious form ahead of the 2023 season. Having narrowly missed qualification for Tokyo 2021, Noel will have his sights firmly set on Paris 2024.
Alistair McCreery
Hometown: Belfast, Co. Antrim.
Alistair is currently our only athlete competing in both Canoe Slalom and Kayak Cross. With Olympic spots up for grabs in the Kayak Cross itself, Alistair will have a busy season balancing the two events.
Samuel Curtis
Hometown: Dunboyne, Co Meath.
Samuel is another dual career athlete managing communications and marketing for Canoeing Ireland. Currently the most experienced athlete on the team, having made his senior debut in 2012.
Liam Jegou
Hometown: Ballyvaughan, Co. Clare.
Liam is Ireland’s 2021 Canoe Slalom Tokyo Olympian. Another of our athletes located in Pau, France, Liam is already a proven race winner, having taken home gold at the 2020 World Cup in Pau.
Jake Cochrane
Hometown: Belfast, Co. Antrim.
Jake lives and trains full-time in Pau, France, on one of the best courses in the world. Jake has been a keen golfer in his spare time and has been an incredibly consistent international performer for the Irish Team, making his first-ever World Cup Final last year in Prague.
Robert Hendrick
Hometown: Donadea, Co. Kildare. Just finished a Masters degree in physiotherapy, Robert has been a very successful dual-career athlete balancing his studies with a heavy training schedule. Having moved over to the 2023 World Championship venue in London this year, Robert is setting himself up for a brilliant result at the Worlds and a great season.
Michaela Corcoran
Hometown: Washington, USA.
Twin daughter of two-time Olympian Mike Corcoran (‘92 and’96) Michaela is one of the youngest athletes on the team, which has done nothing to diminish her ability, already having made several senior international semi-finals.
Madison Corcoran
Hometown: Washington, USA.
Madison is another of our dual career athletes currently in third level education. Madison is preparing to move over to London for a year of study, to be better able to train using the world class venue in Lee Valley.
