Show Jumping Olympic team selection: Cian O'Connor, who has cut a swathe through the international ranks recently with a succession of speed class wins, was named yesterday as one of the quartet that will represent Ireland in the show jumping at next month's Olympic Games in Athens.
At just 24, O'Connor is the youngest of the foursome, but his double clear in the Aachen Nations Cup last Friday clinched his place on the Athens team along with Kevin Babington, Jessica Kurten and Marion Hughes.
Only Kurten has any previous Olympic form, having competed at the 1996 Games in Atlanta, while her three team-mates will all be making their debut on the Olympic stage. There is plenty of championship experience amongst the squad, however, with both Babington and Kurten members of the team that claimed gold at the 2001 European championships in Arnhem, Holland.
Kurten (34) rode at the 1994 world equestrian games in the Hague, where she finished 10th individually, a slot that has been favoured by the Irish in recent years.
Marion Hughes was 10th with the home-bred Charlton at the 1999 Europeans in Hickstead and Babington filled the same spot at last year's Europeans in Germany, where he led the Irish team to fifth place. Babington, who had some impressive early-season form this year was also eighth at the 2002 world equestrian games in Jerez, Spain, where team-mate Dermott Lennon claimed individual gold.
O'Connor has only two senior championship outings to his credit so far, but was a member of Ireland's silver medal team at the European young rider championships in Hartpury, England in the millennium year.
Two years later he got the nod for his first world equestrian games in Jerez, but a fall with Waterford Crystal during the team competition ended his hopes. The pair were also part of the team at the European championships in Germany last year, when Ireland's fifth-place finish guaranteed a team ticket for Athens.
Babington has been named with his La Baule winning-mount Carling King, with O'Connor nominated on Waterford Crystal, the gelding that produced one of only two double clear rounds during last week's Aachen Nations Cup. Kurten has the choice of either Quibell or Castle Forbes Maike, while Hughes will ride Heritage Fortunus.
O'Connor, Hughes and Babington all line out at the important British Nations Cup fixture at Hickstead, which kicks off in Sussex tomorrow. They are joined by Billy Twomey and Army rider Lieutenant Shane Carey.
