Tokyo Olympian Aoife Casey rows her way to West Cork Sports Star monthly award

BY KIERAN McCARTHY

ON the day she was officially announced as a Team Ireland member for next month’s Olympic Games, Skibbereen rower Aoife Casey was also awarded a Celtic Ross Hotel West Cork Sports Star monthly award for May in recognition of her Olympic qualification.

In May, Casey and Margaret Cremen qualified the Irish lightweight women’s double for the Tokyo Games after a superb performance at the final Olympic qualification regatta held in Lucerne. There, the young Irish double finished third in the A final and took the last Olympic spot that was up for grabs.

‘I burst into tears with the relief,’ Casey told The Southern Star after qualifying – and now the Skibbereen Rowing Club star (22) is preparing for the Games in Tokyo in July.

The Celtic Ross Hotel West Cork Sports Star Awards are the biggest and best local sports awards scheme as the Celtic Ross Hotel in Rosscarbery, The Southern Star and C103 all join forces to celebrate the best of West Cork sport.

• Four Skibbereen rowers were named on the Team Ireland rowing team for Tokyo and two more will be reserves