Ireland’s Olympic journey in Canoe Slalom came to an end on Sunday in the Heats of the Kayak Cross. This exciting new event was on the Olympic schedule for the first time in Paris and saw some early success for Ireland. Liam Jegou, Noel Hendrick and Madison Corcoran all successfully qualified from the first knock out rounds on Saturday, despite all only taking up this new discipline in 2024.

In Paris, Kayak Cross has already become a crowd favourite, with an absolutely electric atmosphere at the Vaires-sur-Marne stadium for the head-to-head Heats round. There were some nail-biting moments for our paddlers, with Liam Jegou and Noel Hendrick both finishing third in their respective Heats, just one position away from qualification to the Quarter finals. The significance of competing in the first ever Kayak Cross event in an Olympic Games was not lost on our paddlers, with Madison Corcoran speaking about the added excitement of this new event –

“In Canoe Slalom you have such a concrete plan but here it’s a bit more reacting on your feet. It’s definitely a bit more exciting and interesting for me. When I think about how it’s the first time it’s in the Olympics, it’s really cool to get to be a part of something new here.”

With Kayak Cross being the final event for our Canoe Slalom team in Paris we can now look back on these Games, and the short three year lead in, to celebrate what has been a momentous period for paddle sports in Ireland. After only having one athlete competing in Tokyo 2020, the achievement of having a team of four qualified for these Olympics cannot be understated. Add to this some of the highs of the Games themselves, such as Liam Jegou’s 7th place finish in the C1 Men final, just a gate touch keeping him off the podium, or Noel Hendrick qualifying for the K1 Mens semi-final, and we can see how far we have come. This is not only down to the dedication Liam Jegou, Noel Hendrick, Madison Corcoran, and Michaela Corcoran have shown, but testament to the incredible team surrounding each of these Olympians. Canoeing Ireland Performance Director, Jon Mackey, gathered together an extremely talented team of coaches and support staff who backed these athletes every step of the way – Richard Lee (Performance Analyst), Jure Meglic (Coach), and three time Olympian Eoin Rheinisch (Coach) worked tirelessly over the entire cycle to give our paddlers every opportunity to achieve their ambitions. This was all made possible by the support of Sport Ireland, Team Ireland, and the sponsorship of two time Olympian Mike Corcoran. Their support has put Irish paddle sports back on the map and created a path for the next generation to follow.

Paying testament to our athletes and the impact their performances have had on the community back home, Canoeing Ireland CEO Moira Aston said –

“We are incredibly proud of our athletes who have trained tirelessly for the Paris Olympic Games. Their dedication and passion for our sport represent the very best of Ireland. Our hope is that their performance will inspire a new generation of enthusiasts back home.”

Paris 2024 Olympic Games Canoe Slalom

Madison Corcoran. Canoe Slalom K1 Women – 24th. Kayak Cross Women – 36th

Liam Jegou. Canoe Slalom C1 Men – 7th. Kayak Cross Men – 22nd

Michaela Corcoran. Canoe Slalom C1 Women – 21st

Noel Hendrick. Canoe Slalom K1 Men – 15th. Kayak Cross Men – 21st