It was a busy day for Team Ireland at the European Youth Olympic Festival (EYOF) in Georgia, with Alpine Skiers Finlay Wilson and Kyle Gump competing in the Boys Slalom in Bakuriani, and Allie Peterson taking to the ice in the Junior Girls Free Skating programme. Wilson secured a 20th-place finish, while Figure Skater Peterson placed 19th in her event.
The EYOF runs from February 9–16, with four Irish athletes competing across two disciplines. The event is live streamed on https://eoctv.org/live/.
Figure Skating:
Closing out her skating competition at the Batumi Ice Arena, Peterson finished 19th, skating to ange et demon, pie juse by Maxime Rodigeuz, saara Alto, executing a solid programme.
Despite a few mistakes, the Colorado based skater, whose Great Grandparents come from Portumna and Brideswell near Athlone, finished strong, commenting,
“It was not my best performance today, jump wise, but I think the overall performance was pretty strong. I think I definitely have improved from my competitions at the beginning of the season, so I’m pretty happy overall.
“I really want to thank the Olympic Federation of Ireland, the Irish Skating Association of Ireland for supporting me. And also my coaches in Colorado, Tammy Gambill and her team, and of course my mom, for being here with me and supporting me.”
With today’s event marking the end of the Figure Skating competition at the EYOF, the Skating team leader for the event, Andrew Smith, was pleased with the 15-year-old’s progression through the week, saying,
“Despite some obvious mistakes in today’s free programme, she maintained her presence of mind, fighting through each element and delivering a strong performance to the end. That resilience is a testament to her team in Colorado, who have prepared her well for these events and conditions.
“This event is a fantastic opportunity for young athletes to assess their progress, connect with peers, and learn from others in a competitive environment. Over the past six days, Allie has embraced the experience with great organisation, focus, and composure. She arrived prepared, adapted seamlessly, and stayed committed to her plan, it’s been great to see her thrive in this atmosphere.”
Alpine Skiing:
Finlay Wilson and Kyle Gump wrapped up the final day of racing for Team Ireland’s male ski team at the EYOF in Bakuriani, Georgia. Wilson rebounded from his earlier disappointment in the Giant Slalom, delivering two strong runs in the Slalom, to secure 20th place overall.
After finishing 33rd in his first run, the French-based skier was determined to improve his rankings. An aggressive second run saw him climb to 18th in that run, ultimately placing him 20th overall.
“I came out of the start gate with anger, and just went and pushed as hard as I could. I knew this course suited me, and it worked out! After the first run, when I was disappointed not to make the top-30 inversion, but I kept pushing. I thought if I come out, I come out. But if it works out, it will be a good result. Luckily it worked, and I finished top-20, I’m very happy.”
Wilson will move on to the Junior World Championships shortly, so will move to the next events with good confidence,
“These big events are a great experience. We will keep working hard for Junior Worlds in two weeks, and then for the rest of the season. And who knows, maybe hope for the Milano Cortina Olympics in 2026.
The windy conditions played a key factor in the competition with Gump joining the 56 non-finishers. Speaking after the race, the New Hampshire based athlete said,
“I knew from the start it was going to be really rough, so I tried to keep a really high line and stay in good position, but I lost some technique as I went down. I then hit one of those gates, caught a little bit of a roll, and just flung half my body in the air. And it's a little hard to make the next gate when you're flying past it in the air.”
Julia Deakins is the last Irish athlete left in the competition, at the EYOF, and tomorrow competes in the Girls Slalom event, where she wears bib.
RESULTS 13th FEBRUARY:
Finlay Wilson: Alpine Skiing – Boys Slalom, 20th with 1:38.41 (Run 1 – 33 with 50.2, Run 2 – 18 with 48.21)
Kyle Gump: Alpine Skiing – Boys Slalom, DNF
Allie Peterson: Figure Skating – Girls Free Skating Programme, 19th with 37.27 – breakdown here
SCHEDULE 14th FEBRUARY:
Julia Deakins: Alpine Skiing – Girls Slalom bib 37 (Bakuriani Ski Centre)
The full team competing at the Games were Figure Skater Allie Peterson who competed in Batumi Ice Arena, and Alpine Skiers Julia Deakins, Kyle Gump and Finlay Wilson, who compete at the Bakuriani Alpine Skiing Course on the Didveli Slope.
