IRISH QUARTET KEOGHING FOR GOLD
THE day that Aifric Keogh feared wouldn’t come is almost upon her and her Women’s Four team-mates.
The chance to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics via the 2019 Worlds in Linz-ottensheim eluded the team by two places.
They returned to the fray with a new line-up and a determination to go faster.
Despite the disruption brought by Covid, Keogh and colleagues Eimear
Lambe, Fiona Murtagh and stroke woman Emily
Hegarty bounced back to claim bronze in the Europeans in 2020 and silver this year.
They found themselves in the Olympic last chance saloon in May and aced it, beating their nearest rivals, the Chinese boat, by three seconds.
“In one way, it has been a blessing for us because we haven’t been able to take our foot off the gas,” said the Galwegian (above).
“It was May 16th when we managed to qualify in Lucerne.
“We already had the women’s pair qualified. For us, it was just about getting those four extra seats on the plane.”
Their qualification brought the numbers to nine women in a record 13-strong team, a spectacular progression from the single rower that competed in London 2012 – Sanita Puspure.
The quartet had to make a decision on whether to send their fastest boat to Tokyo or use it for the qualification attempt.
Keogh recalled: “We did have to plan that very far in advance and make sure everything was in order.”
It has worked out – now they have their sights set on big performances on the Sea Forest Waterway.
“The team’s going so well that if one boat wins a medal I see no reason why we all can’t.
“That is everyone’s ambition and dream.”