O’Loughlin sets off for Beijing

Cong’s O’Loughlin wins his place in history

Martin Ayres

SPORTING history will be made in Beijing next week when David O’Loughlin becomes the first Mayoman to represent Ireland in the Olympic Games.
The 30-year-old cyclist, who flew out to China on Monday, received a rousing send-off from his home village of Cong at a function in his honour hosted by Mayo County Council.
Family, friends, neighbours, TDs, councillors and local sporting figures crowded into Ryan’s Hotel on Friday to pay tribute to O’Loughlin and wish him well on his quest for Games glory.
He will compete in the individual track pursuit, the event in which he finished sixth at this year’s World Championships.
“I have so many people to thank, family, friends, sponsors, and I promise I’ll do my best for them in Beijing,” O’Loughlin told the guests.
David, the son of Aileen and Brian O’Loughlin, is married to Mary, and they celebrate their second wedding anniversary shortly and have recently moved into their newly-built house near Cong.
Ireland has never won an Olympic cycling medal, but O’Loughlin is going to Beijing with serious intent, and firmly believes he is capable of a medal-winning performance. The Games start on Friday, and O’Loughlin will be in action the following Friday, August 14
O’Loughlin has achieved a notable first for Mayo by qualifying for the Olympic team but he is not the county’s first Olympian. Bohola-born Martin Sheridan became a sporting legend by winning five Olympic golds early in the last century. However, Sheridan was competing under the stars and stripes of his adopted USA.
O’Loughlin is not the first Mayo athlete to represent Ireland at the Olympics, however; that honour fell to Ballina’s Deirdre Gallagher who represented Ireland in the walking event in the 1996 Atlanta Games.
Sheridan’s last Games appearance was in London 1908, and now, 100 years on, another Mayoman is gearing up for his Olympic debut.