Sharpe's Olympic dream about to be fulfilled

Kelly Murphy, Alice Sharpe, Lara Gillespie and Mia Griffin secured an historic first qualification for Ireland in women's team pursuit

It’s been a dream of Alice Sharpe since, as a six-year-old, she watched Australian Cathy Freeman win the women’s 400m at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney.

Now the England-based cyclist can look forward to becoming an Olympian and making history in Paris this summer after she helped Ireland qualify a women’s team pursuit squad for the first time.

“I remember in school watching the 2000 Olympics and the teachers wheeling a TV into the assembly hall and we were all watching.

“I remember Cathy Freeman because she wore the hood and the full body speed suit. That was my earliest Olympic memory,” explains the 29 year-old.

“I think when I was younger, I maybe didn't think it would be something I could do, but I think as I've stepped into the high performance programme with Cycling Ireland it made me believe that we have the facilities and expertise here to make this happen.

“And so that made me believe that it was a possibility and therefore a realistic dream.

“I wouldn't like to let myself believe or dream something that I didn't think was possible, but yeah, I'm so pleased now that it's come to fruition.”

Sharpe’s Northern Irish heritage comes from her father Steve’s side of the family although she was born near Munich in Germany and raised in Cambridgeshire in England.

At school she showed her sporting potential eventually taking up triathlon when she turned eleven and competing to Elite level for a decade.

It was while studying at Manchester Metropolitan University that she was persuaded to join a cycling club.

“I really liked the tactical element of bike racing while there were some of the triathlons I did with drafting and you're just kind of time trialling. So yeah, I just liked the fight of the bike race.”

Sharpe’s decision was made and in 2018 she made the move to the high performance programme at Cycling Ireland joining the team pursuit squad.

The dream of qualifying an Irish women’s team pursuit squad for the Olympics has been going on for much longer than just the current cycle since Tokyo.

It’s been ten years in the making and the success of Sharpe, Lara Gillespie, Mia Griffin. Kelly Murphy and reserve Erin Creighton has been built on the shoulders of those who rode before.

“It's really amazing. It's been a dream of Cycling Ireland's to make this programme happen.

“So I just feel really proud that we have actually been able to deliver on all of the investment that's been put into us and the belief and time from all of the coaches.”

The Ireland women's pursuit squad travelled the world to make sure on qualifying for Paris

The qualification process took place over a two-year period and meant traveling the world accumulating points at Nations Cup events and Continental and World Championships.

Only ten countries will race in Paris and Ireland clinched their place with a superb silver medal and Irish record at the Nations Cup in Hong Kong last month albeit they had to wait until this week for it to be confirmed.

“It doesn't really feel that real yet. I think until maybe when we get our kit or when we're on the start line or we start our Olympic prep camp, then maybe it'll feel more real because yeah, we stepped off that track in Hong Kong and I was like, oh, we've actually done enough, but it kind of hadn't really sunk in.”

The pursuit squad regularly finish in the top 8 in world events and top 4 in Europe and the qualification also guaranteed Ireland a place in the women’s Madison which in turn secured a ride in the Omnium.

Sharpe has been riding in the Madison with Griffin and the duo look likely to compete in that event in Paris as well.

Also a two-time Irish National road race champion, Sharpe recently moved to the DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK team and just last week was fifth in the one-day classic Région Pays de la Loire Tour.

She will continue to race on the roads before the final preparations for Paris begin in June.

Qualification achieved as wait for Irish velodrome continues

Cycling Ireland’s training base is in Mallorca as there is no velodrome in Ireland.

While formal planning was granted for a new facility at the National Sports Campus over a year ago, work has yet to begin.

“Yeah, it's really, really important. I think our journey's been a bit tougher than it maybe needed to be because of that, and I don't mean that to sound ungrateful.

“It's amazing to be in Mallorca in the sunshine and that sounds incredible, but at times, you know, people have been injured when we've been there and we haven't had the medical support. Just little things like that.

“We do have the support and world-class facilities with Sport Ireland, but we're removed from it just because of no Velodrome.

“So I think once it’s built, then I hope that we can start to enjoy the success of the boxers or the swimmers, which you can really see because of having those facilities at home.”