O’Rourke looking forward to Irish support at Paris Olympics
Aoife O'Rourke during the official Team Ireland Paris 2024 boxing team announcement at the Sport Ireland Institute in Dublin recently. Pic: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
With just over two weeks to go before the Olympic Games get underway in Paris, one of Ireland’s medal hopes, Castlerea boxer Aoife O’Rourke, is going to embrace what was distinctly lacking during her last appearance in Tokyo: the sound of Irish supporters in the stadium.
This will be O’Rourke’s second successive Olympic appearance. She made her debut at the Tokyo Games in 2021, an event that was due to take place the year before but was delayed because of the Covid pandemic.
Due to ongoing restrictions, the Olympics in Japan was held with few spectators but the double European boxing champion is now really looking forward to savouring the noise from the Irish crowd in the arena this time around.
In a recent video interview, compiled by the Irish Athletic Boxing Association, following the official unveiling of the Olympic boxing team, she said: “It’ll be totally different, we’ll have spectators in the crowd, and the cheering of the Irish, it’ll make for a brilliant experience.
“Qualifying for Paris 2024 will be a totally different experience to Tokyo. I’m really looking forward to it just because my family will be coming over, my friends, coaches and that.”
During the interview, the 27-year-old detailed her mindset going into this summer’s Olympics.
“My goal is to enjoy the experience, make the most of it, make memories and to just enjoy it. There’s no pressure for medals or any of that, what will be, will be.
“All you can do is put in the hard work, and hopefully the result will look after itself. At the end of the day all you can do is your best, and you’ve no control over anything else beyond that.”
She acknowledged the magnitude of the occasion for her and everyone who will be following her fortunes in France.
“It’s a huge honour and I’m very proud to be representing Ireland, as well as my club at home Castlerea Boxing Club, my friends, my family, everyone like, it’s a big honour to be representing Ireland on the world stage.”
O’Rourke, who will be competing at middleweight (75kg), will be jetting off to Paris shortly in search of sporting immortality at the 2024 Olympics. She’s in the form of her life at the moment, and is currently on a training camp with the rest of her Irish boxing team-mates in Germany.
