* PICTURED: Oisin O’Grady, Elin Blake, Ferdia Hayes and Leana Liddane
FOUR Clare athletes have taken home an array of medals from Poland where they represented Ireland in the 2023 European Youth lifesaving championships.
The European Championships kicked off with three gruelling days of heats and finals in the Olympic pool in Gorzow. Leana Liddane made the A finals in all of her events, ranking 4-8th and setting new national Junior and senior records.
Elin Blake also took to the pool in her favourite event, the 50m mannequin carry, also setting a new national junior and senior record.
The mixed team of Leana, Elin, Oisin O’Grady and Ferdia Hayes also smashed an Irish record in mixed lifesaving relay.
However, it was the beach where the Clare athletes took over. Leana won gold in the ocean surf swim and board rescue event, silver in the board finals and silver in the brutal Oceanwoman event. She also took to the sea in the mixed taplin, the M-Shaped relay race where she also claimed silver with her Irish teammates Amy, Jamie and Finn.
Oisin and Ferdia took gold in the board rescue final after Oisin and his teammates claimed bronze in the beach sprint relay. Oisin also claimed bronze the next day in the rescue tube team event.
Elin won a silver medal in the rescue tube team event while Ferdia also claimed bronze in the ocean man race.
