DCU Voices

DCU VOICES 64 DCU Sports &Well Being Ten past and present DCU students qualify for Tokyo Olympics Congratulations to the ten DCU students and alumni who qualified for the Olympic Games 2021 in Tokyo. Five current DCU students competed as part of Team Ireland’s Athletics and Hockey teams. DCU has been delighted to support all these athletes as sports scholars, as they balanced their academic and sporting careers in pursuit of achieving their Olympic dreams. The athletics events took place in both Sapporo Odori Park and the Olympic Stadium in the second week of the Games, running from Friday, 30 July to Sunday, 8 August. The Irish hockey team competed in Oi Hockey Stadium from 24 July until 6 August, 2021. The qualifying DCU students are: • Nadia Power, a fourth year Marketing, Innovation and Technology student at DCU, who won bronze at the European Athletics U23 Championships 800m race in 2019. Nadia competed in the 800m. • Andrew Corcoran is a final year BSc Education and Training student at DCU’s Institute of Education. Andrew competed in the 1500m. • Cillín Greene is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Law and Society. Cillín competed in the mixed 4 x 400m relay. • Sophie Becker also qualified to take part in the mixed 4 x 400m relay. Sophie is currently studying for BSc in Genetics & Cell Biology at DCU. • Sarah Torrans, a third year General Nursing student joined the team of 16 Hockey players that travelled to compete in Oi Hockey Stadium from the 24 July until the 6 August, 2021. Five DCU graduates will also compete as part of Ireland’s Athletics, Hockey and Swim teams: • Cliodhna Manning (Accounting & Finance, 2017) was selected for Ireland’s mixed 4 x 400m relay team. • Fionnuala McCormack (Sports Science & Health, 2008) was among the Irish marathon team. • Brendan Hyland (Accounting & Finance, 2019) is a member of the nine-strong swimming team who competed for Team Ireland in the Men’s 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay. • Hannah Matthews (Athletic Therapy & Training 2013) competed as part of the Team Ireland Women’s Hockey team. • Foster Horan (Sports Science and Health, 2017) competed as part of the Rugby 7’s team. Despite the lack of university competitions during 2020, DCU athletes were again to the fore at home and abroad. Nadia Power (Marketing, Innovation and Technology student) broke the National 800m indoor record twice during a season in which she represented Ireland at the European Indoors in Poland, which brought her well into contention for a TokyoOlympics place over 800m. National 400mchampion Sophie Becker (Genetics and Cell Biology student) ran a series of impressive 400m races indoors, improving her PB to 53.20. This saw her qualify for the European indoors andmove to third on the Irish all-time indoor list. Other DCUwomen athletes to the fore included: • MichaelaWalsh (Physical Education and Biology student) retained her National Shot Put title and was selected to represent Ireland at the European Throwing Cup inMay. • Aoife Lynch (Mechatronic Engineering student) was selected tomake her first senior international debut last May as part of theWomen’s 4x100mRelay at theWorld Relay championships in Poland after a series of PBs over 60m indoors and also placed 5th in theWomen’s 1500mFinal at the Paralympics. • DCUAlumna, Greta Streimikyte had a great performance over 1500m indoors clocking 4:42.61. Nadia Power (Marketing, Innovation and Technology student) MichaelaWalsh (Physical Education and Biology student) ATHLETICS National records and new PBs for DCU athletes