Fit for anything — the medical team keeping Ireland's Olympians at peak health

“The athletes have put in phenomenal efforts to get to these games. Our job is to prevent them from picking up any knocks, blows or viruses that might take from their ability to perform at their best.”

James O'Donovan, Chief Medical Officer for Paris 2024 Olympics, at the National Sports Campus, Dublin. Photo: Gareth Chaney

Staying fit and healthy is the main priority for Team Ireland in the weeks ahead. The 122 athletes representing us at the Paris Olympic Games need to be at their physical and mental peak if they want to reach their full potential at the moment it matters most.

It is Dr James O’Donovan’s job to help them do just that. As the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) for Team Ireland, he and Dr Jim Clover, Dr George Fuller, Dr Stuart O’Flanagan, Dr Valerie Hayes, Dr Louise O’Connell, and Dr Ronan Kearney are responsible for looking after these athletes’ medical needs. Over the course of the games, they will be on call, attending to every illness and injury, major or minor.