CHAMP AXED OFF BY ANTHEM GAFFE Organisers play Welsh song for Irish tournament winner
A DOG lover from Brighton is claiming a new world record for calling in at the most pubs in one day after visiting 67 boozers in 17 hours last Saturday in aid of Dogs Trust.
AN IRISHWOMAN was left with an axe to grind when she won a world title — and tournament organisers played the Welsh national anthem.
Ceola McGowan (31) from Sligo had just won the world axe throwing championship in Nova Scotia, Canada at the end of August when the mix-up happened.
She revealed: “I was up on the podium and as they presented the silver and bronze medals, I was mentally preparing to belt out Amhrán na bhFiann but as they hung the medal on me this music started up that I never heard before.
“I was like ‘WTF is that?’ and only when I spotted a friend of mine from Wales laughing and waving his arms in the air did I realise it was the Welsh anthem.
“He came over after and said he was going to hand me a Welsh flag when he heard their song!
Success
“It didn’t spoil the success and I can see the funny side of it now but at the time I was thinking this must be some sort of competition theme tune, I hadn’t a clue what it was.”
Axe throwing sees competitors fire the weapons at a target 20 feet away and Ceola, who has 40,000 TikTok followers for her Irish Axe Chucker page, throws with a team in Wicklow.
“I got into it when I was at college and someone mentioned it to me, I couldn’t believe such a thing existed and as I was always up for a challenge I decided to give it a go,” she added.
“Apart from throwing practice, my training mainly consists of pole dancing — and no, not in bars, in the gym, it is a great way of getting fit.
“I entered a few tournaments around the world this year as preparation for the worlds and finished second in them all.
“In Canada I led from the qualifier rounds and in the final throw I was up against the reigning champion from Sweden, I just looked at the target and said to myself, ‘No more second places’, maybe if I had come second I’d have been spared the embarrassment of the music mix-up.
“I have decided that for the next championships I will bring them a recording of our anthem.”