Jake Passmore
Age: 19
Event: 3m Springboard
Club: Shamrock Diving Club
First Olympics
Jake Passmore will become the third Irish male diver to compete at an Olympics, after Oliver Dingley in Rio and Tokyo and Eddie Heron, who competed in London in 1948. Passmore, who has only just turned 19, secured his place in the 3m Springboard event at the World Aquatics Championships in Doha in February.
Passmore finished in 17th spot at those championships but since each country can only send two divers, a few ahead of him didn’t make the cut and so the place went to him. Born and raised in Bradford in England, he qualifies through an Irish grandmother. He has always competed for Ireland, coming up through the junior ranks and winning the country’s first ever diving medal when taking bronze in the European Youth Championships in Romania in 2022.
Ciara McGing
Age: 23
Event: 10m Platform
Club: Ohio State University
First Olympics
Ciara McGing was the final member of the aquatics team to be confirmed for Paris, only learning that she had secured her spot at the start of July. Her 26th place at the World Championships in Doha in February looked certain to leave her too far outside the qualifying places but she snuck in right under the wire, calling it “the most wonderful surprise” when she heard the news.
McGing has had a fine collegiate career at Ohio State before graduating in the spring. She has been part of the set-up in Sport Ireland since her mid-teens and has represented Ireland at World and European Championships. Born in London, she qualifies for Ireland through a Donegal grandmother. She represented Great Britain until she was 16 before switching to compete for Ireland and moving to live in Blanchardstown.
