Olympics 2020: Record number of UCD Ad Astra alumni and students qualify for Tokyo Games
Posted 20 July, 2021
The largest ever cohort of UCD Ad Astra Academy alumni and students will compete at (opens in a new window)2020 Olympics, with 20 athletes qualifying for this year's Games.
Beginning 23 July, these past and current As Astra scholars will be in Japan flying the flag for Ireland across a number of events, including hockey, rugby, rowing, table tennis, track & field, sailing, and swimming.
There will also be four other Irish athletes completing who undertook studies at University College Dublin, three of whom received sports scholarships from the University.
At the 2021 Games, four current UCD students will compete, Sarah Healy, Sarah McAuley, Michelle Carey, and Hannah McLoughlin, as will two athletes commencing studies at UCD in September.
| Current Students | Sport | Event Date | Academic Programme | Scholarship |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (opens in a new window)Sarah Healy | Athletics, 1500m | Monday, 2 August | Law | Ad Astra |
| (opens in a new window)Hannah McLoughlin | Hockey | ---- | Economics + Finance | Ad Astra |
| (opens in a new window)Sarah McAuley | Hockey | ---- | Social Policy & Sociology | Ad Astra |
| Michelle Carey (Travelling reserve) | Hockey | ---- | Biomedical Engineering | Ad Astra |
UCD alumni Mark English, Darragh Greene, Billly Dardis and Ciara Mageean will each be competing at the 2020 Olympics this month
| Alumni | Sport | Event Date | Academic Programme | Scholarship |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (opens in a new window)Mark English | Athletics, 800m | Saturday, 31 July | Medicine, 2018 | Ad Astra |
| (opens in a new window)Ciara Mageean | Athletics, 1500m | Monday, 2 August | Physiotherapy, 2017 | Ad Astra |
| (opens in a new window)Sarah Lavin | Hurdles, 100m | Saturday, 31 July | Physiotherapy, 2018 | Ad Astra |
| (opens in a new window)Katie Mullan | Hockey, Captain | Saturday, 26 July | ME Biomedical Engineering, 2018 | Ad Astra |
| (opens in a new window)Anna O’Flanagan | Hockey, Vice-Captain | Saturday, 31 July | Law with Economics, 2013 | Ad Astra |
| (opens in a new window)Chloe Watkins | Hockey | Wednesday, 28 July | BComm International, 2016 | Ad Astra |
| (opens in a new window)Deirdre Duke | Hockey | Friday, 30 July | Law with Social Justice, 2017 | Ad Astra |
| (opens in a new window)Elena Tice | Hockey | Monday, 2 August | Economics, 2021 | Ad Astra |
| (opens in a new window)Eimear Lambe | Rowing, 4 | Saturday, 24 July | BComm International, 2019 | Ad Astra |
| (opens in a new window)Paul O’Donovan | Rowing, Lightweight Double | Saturday, 24 July | Physiotherapy, 2017 | Ad Astra |
| (opens in a new window)Aileen Crowley | Rowing, Pair | Saturday, 24 July | Architecture, 2015 | ---- |
| (opens in a new window)Billly Dardis | Rugby 7’s. Captain | Monday, 26 July | Health & Performance Science, 2019 | Ad Astra |
| (opens in a new window)Adam Leavy | Rugby 7’s | Tuesday, 27 July | Finance, 2021 | Sports Scholar |
| Gavin Mullin | Rugby 7’s | Monday, 26 July | Business and Law, 2021 | Ad Astra |
| (opens in a new window)Harry McNulty | Rugby 7’s | Monday, 26 July | Food Science, 2017 | Sports Scholar |
| (opens in a new window)Annalise Murphy | Sailing | Sunday, 25 July | Science (Stage 1), and Health & Performance Science (Semester 1) | Ad Astra |
| (opens in a new window)Darragh Greene | Swimming, 100m breaststroke | Saturday, 24 July | Dilpoma in Sports and Exercise Medicine, 2018 | Ad Astra & Sports Scholar |
| (opens in a new window)Shane Lowry | Golf | Thursday, 29 July | Dilpoma in Sports Management, Incomplete | Sports Scholar |
Hockey aces Michelle Carey, Hannah McLoughlin, Deirdre Duke, team captain Katie Mullan, Sarah McAuley, Chloe Watkins, Anna O’Flanagan and Elena Tice.
Rowing for Ireland at the Tokyo Games will be UCD graduates Olympic silver medalist Paul O’Donovan, Aileen Crowley, and Eimear Lambe. Also competing will be UCD alumni Harry McNulty and Sarah Lavin.
| Incoming Students | Sport | Event Date | Academic Programme | Scholarship |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (opens in a new window)Aoife O’Rourke | Boxing, 75kg | Wednesday, 28 July | Veterinary Medicine | Ad Astra |
| (opens in a new window)Fintan Ryan (Travelling reserve) | Cycling, Track | ---- | Physiotherapy | Ad Astra |
Adam Leavy, Olympic silver medalist Annalise Murphy, Golfer Shane Lowry, incoming students Aoife O’Rourke and Fintan Ryan, and Gavin Mullin
“The UCD Ad Astra Academy provides the support needed to reach the highest of athletic standards while still allowing students to develop and complete their education,” said (opens in a new window)Professor Colin Boreham, Director of the UCD Ad Astra Sports Programme.
“It’s an incredible success for the University to see so many As Astra Scholars compete at the 2021 Games. They will prove to be excellent ambassadors for UCD, and we congratulate them on their fantastic achievements.
“We wish them all the best for the tough challenges ahead in Tokyo.”
By: David Kearns, Digital Journalist / Media Officer, UCD University Relations
