Coyle officially selected for Tokyo Games
Tara athlete Natalya Coyle has officially been selected to compete at her third Olympic Games and she will be a serious medal contender in Tokyo.
Coyle confirmed her spot in the Modern Pentathlon event, which will be one of the last disciplines at the Tokyo Olympics, at the European Championships in Bath in 2019.
Since her qualification Coyle's preparations have been disrupted due to Covid concerns, but she is in good form heading into the Games, finishing fifth in the Pentathlon World Cup final in Hungary in May.
Coyle finished ninth at London 2012 and sixth at Rio 2016 while she is also a two-time World Cup silver medallist and two-time World Cup Final winner in the mixed relay alongside Arthur Lanigan-O’Keeffe, who has declined his selection for the Games due to injury.
The 2016 Meath Sportsperson of the Year is a former member of Meath Hunt Pony Club, Coyle started competing in international modern pentathlon aged 16, having taken up horse riding before being introduced to the other disciplines.
"It is always special going to the Olympics, and with this being my third Games, I am still really excited to compete," said Coyle after her selection was confirmed.
"Each Games is a unique experience, and Tokyo will be the most different really, for so many reasons.
"The extra year has worked well for me, it gave me an extra bit of time to work on my running and fencing, so I am really confident heading into the Games, and looking forward to competing."
Team Ireland Chef de Mission for Tokyo 2020, Tricia Heberle said: "Natalya qualified for Tokyo early in the Olympic cycle and her resolve and focus during the last two years has been fantastic.
"To represent your country in an Olympic Games is an outstanding achievement, to be going to your third is testament to the commitment it takes to compete at international level year in, year out. We welcome Natalya to the team and know she will do Ireland proud in Tokyo."
The Team Ireland Modern Pentathlon announcement coincided with Olympic Day, and is one of the oldest events on the programme, a sport invented by the founder of the Modern Olympics, Pierre de Coubertin.
Modern Pentathlon is based on a variation of the military aspect of the ancient pentathlon, and focuses on the skills required by soldiers in the late 19th century. Athletes compete in swimming, showjumping (on an unknown horse), fencing, and Laser Run (combined running and shooting).
In Tokyo the competition takes place in two different venues, Musashino Forest Sport Plaza for the fencing and Tokyo Stadium for the remainder of the competition.
Team Ireland Modern Pentathlon Performance Director, Martina McCarthy is proud of Coyle's achievement in making her third successive games.
"Despite incredibly challenging circumstances this year Natalya has remained steadfast in her singular focus of preparing to compete in what will be her third Olympic Games," said McCarthy.
"Natalya has worked tirelessly with her support team to ensure that she will be arriving in Tokyo in a position to deliver on the performance goals she has set for herself.
"We as a team are looking forward to arriving in Japan and maximising our last few weeks of preparation and training leading into the Games."
Team Ireland now consists of 45 officially selected athletes, with 98 athletes spots confirmed. The final team announcement is scheduled for the beginning of July.
The Olympic Games in Tokyo will run from the 23rd July to 8th August 2021, with Modern Pentathlon running between 5th and 6th August.