Jack Woolley is officially selected by the Olympic Federation of Ireland for Olympics
“I AM looking forward to enjoying Paris now. When I go out and am happy and I’m excited, I tend to perform much better.
“I have a lot of support going to watch me, it will be an amazing atmosphere,” said Tallaght’s Jack Woolley who was officially selected by The Olympic Federation of Ireland to compete in the Men’s -58kg at the Olympic Games in Paris this summer.
The Jobstown athlete made his Olympic debut in Tokyo, becoming the first Irish athlete to ever compete in Taekwondo at the Olympic Games.
In Paris, his competition takes place in the spectacular Grand Palais Paris Bercy Arena, on Wednesday, August 7.
The journey to Olympic qualification for Woolley was not straightforward, with his Olympic berth finally being secured at the European Taekwondo Qualification tournament, with a win in the semi-finals.
Speaking on his selection, Woolley said: “In my sport the main way to qualify for the Games is by being in the top five Olympic-ranked athletes by the December before the Olympics.
“Last year I finished the year in athlete six, so my final opportunity was at the European Taekwondo Qualification Tournament in March.
“Thankfully I made the top two at that event and have now qualified for my second Olympics.
“The feeling of relief and stress leaving my body when I got the spot was immense,” said Jack.
Olympic Federation of Ireland Chef de Mission for Paris 2024, Gavin Noble said: “We are delighted to officially confirm Jack’s place on the Irish Olympic team for Paris 2024.
“Jack is also one of the Paris Scholars, and since a young age has been paving the way for Irish taekwondo athletes.
“The road to the Olympics is never easy, and Jack’s resilience and focus have shone throughout the qualification process.
We are looking forward to supporting him in Paris.”
Robert Taaffe, Taekwondo Performance Director said: “Our wonderful sport taekwondo is practiced by an estimated eighty million people in 210 countries worldwide.
“Sixteen people make it to the Olympics in each division.
“Jack has now made it twice.
“One in 80 million, a boy from Tallaght shining and inspiring others.
“This feat takes so much focus, dedication and commitment and we are incredibly proud of everything Jack has achieved in his glittering career so far.
“The support from family, friends, coaches & team mates, Taekwondo Ireland, Irish Sporting Bodies and the Olympic Scholarship have all played a part in developing one of the world’s most renowned and loved taekwondo fighters.
“In a year of major milestones, including when thirty years ago in 1994 the International Olympic Committee added Taekwondo to the Olympic Programme, one hundred years ago the Olympics were in Paris.
“We now get to share in this experience and look forward to support Jack in the iconic Grand Palais venue in Paris on August 7th and watch him assist pave the way for future taekwondo stars in Ireland.’!”
The Olympic Games in Paris will run from July 24 to August 11, with the Opening Ceremony taking place on July 26.
