Calry’s Gearóid narrowly misses Olympics spot
SLIGO surfer Gearóid McDaid narrowly missed out on qualification for the Tokyo Olympic Games last week – but has already turned his sights towards the next event in 2024.
McDaid, from Calry, was competing at the International Surfing Association’s world championship event in El Salvador. He was competing with some of the finest surfers from across the globe, with former world champion Gabriel Medina featuring in his first heat.
McDaid made it to the third round heat before dropping into the repechage stage for the best placed finishers who did not win their heats.
The Sligonian’s El Slavador journey ended here as he missed out on joining some of his contemporaries in Japan for the Olympic Games’ first-ever surfing event and indeed his fellow local athletes, with north Sligo’s Mona MacSharry and Chris O’Donnell both gaining qualification in recent weeks.
McDaid will now turn his attentions immediately towards being part of what will hopefully be another contingent of Sligo Olympians heading to Paris in 2024.