Holywood produces another star

They can claim the best golfer on the planet and now have a potential Olympian in the making.

Tiffany Brien, who hails from the same town of Holywood in Co Down as the world’s best golfer, Rory McIlroy, was named Miss Northern Ireland for 2012 at the weekend.

However, like McIlroy, Tiffany is also no slouch in the sports department. The 20-year-old, who is a sports science student at the University of Ulster could have been representing Ireland at the Olympic Games in London instead of hitting the catwalks at the Miss World competition.

She was training to compete in the Laser Radial Class in sailing at the next Olympic Games but put her dream on ice after deciding to pursue a modelling career.

Speaking to the Belfast Telegraph last year, Tiffany said she still aims to return to sailing to have a crack at the Olympics.

“I started sailing when I was seven but have been sailing for Ireland since I was 14. I really enjoyed it and dedicated so much of my time to it. But I just wanted a break, it was wearing me down and it was time to do something completely different,” she said.

Tiffany will now represent Northern Ireland at the Miss World final on Aug 18, when she will go up against the current Miss Ireland, Rebecca Maguire.