Rio and the Olympics on the horizon for Carlow's Finn Lynch

Carlow’s Finn Lynch was just eight years old when he started saililng. A decade later, and he has qualified for the Olympic Games.

The 19-year secured the sole Irish place in the men’s single-handed dinghy event for Rio 2016 by being the best of the three contenders at the Laser World Championships at Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

He started the regatta needing to overtake London 2012 veteran, James Espey, by six places, at the third and final event in the Irish Sailing Association Olympic Group trials series. While Espey secured the place for Ireland at Rio last year, it was always expected that a selection series would be needed to decide the individual, and Lynch had been tipped as a likely contender.