Former Ireland rugby international and current RTÉ analyst Bernard Jackman has been appointed Acting Head of High Performance Sport at Horse Sport Ireland (HSI) in the lead-up to the next summer's Paris Olympic Games.
Jackman will work with the Olympic and Paralympic programmes as they gear towards the Games in the French capital, where Ireland's show jumping and eventing teams have already qualified.
With the ultimate goal of bringing medals home from Paris, Jackman began working with the high performance sport team in HSI this week and is thrilled to be on board with the Irish Olympic and Paralympic programmes.
"I'm very excited to have started with the team at HSI as we gear towards the Olympics and Paralympics in the summer," said Jackman, who has also worked as a consultant for companies such as Airbnb, Aviva, Primark, Circle K, Pfizer, EY, SuperBet and the French Rugby Union on developing a high performance culture.
"The Irish show jumpers and eventers were the among the first, if not the first teams and athletes to secure a place in Paris last summer – in the 2022 World Championships in Herning and also in Pratoni – so we have been in the unique position to be able to plan and strategise, long term, for a tilt at medals.
"I look at the likes of Michael Blake’s show jumping team and the fantastic results we’ve had in Nations Cups, multiple wins and podium finishes almost every time the team has lined up, including this year’s European Championship silver medal. This has me really excited for what we can achieve in that sphere.
"On top of that, Austin O’Connor and Colorado Blue’s recent five-star eventing win in Maryland – a first for an Irish athlete since 1965 – whets the appetite too. Clare Abbott has also had a fantastic recent run with Jewelent, including a superb result at the Nations Cup Final in Boekelo, which is promising.
"I am fascinated with the relationship between horse and athlete and when I was researching the potential for this role as we build towards Paris I came across the Two Hearts campaign from a few years back.
"It struck me then how special that bond is, and having recently gotten a greater understanding of the relationship between horse and athlete, it has me that bit more excited about the potential for our teams at the games.
"As an organisation, our vision is to have the best horses and riders in the world and I’m hoping to play a part in delivering that vision over the coming months."
HSI Chief Executive, Denis Duggan, said of Jackman's appointment: "I'm delighted to have secured Bernard ahead of the Paris Olympics.
"Bernard is extremely impressive and brought a real enthusiasm to the process when we looked into this role – we knew of his potential to excel as Acting Head of High Performance Sport but what we have already seen with his vision for 2024 and the run up to the Olympics is very exciting."
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