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Trinity physiotherapy students and sport scholars Erin McIlwaine and Ellen Barbour were promoted to the Senior Irish Sailing Squad in early December 2025. The pair have progressed through the Irish Sailing Development Squad in recent seasons, earning their place following a breakthrough Bronze medal at the 2025 U23 49erFX World Championships in Copenhagen. The result positions them firmly on the pathway towards qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
McIlwaine and Barbour formed their 49erFX partnership in March 2024 and showed early promise with an 11th-place finish at Kieler Woche, now part of the Sailing Grand Slam Series. They continued to build consistency throughout the 2025 season, remaining inside the top ten for much of the U23 Worlds before securing third place on the final day in challenging conditions. Their World Championship result also led to their selection for Sport Ireland’s International Carding Scheme, recognising them as athletes with elite or high-performance potential and providing access to funding and specialist support services.
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Erin and Ellen shared their delight with the selection: "Being selected for the Irish Sailing Senior Squad is a really big step for us towards our goal of selection for the 2028 Olympic Games. Over the past few years balancing our studies with sailing hasn't been easy, but it was made possible with the backing from Trinity Sport and the flexibility from our lecturers, making a huge difference in helping us to reach this point. We're proud to represent both Ireland and Trinity at this level, and we are excited for the challenges ahead."
Irish Sailing’s Technical Director Rory Fitzpatrick said, “Erin and Ellen earned that World Championship medal. There is no doubt they put in the hard yards to achieve it, it’s clearly a stepping stone in their Olympic preparations and it’s their attitude and commitment to preparation that steps them up the senior team. This is a case of hard work meeting opportunity, and they also showed that they can execute when it counts.”