Hard work pays off for Ben Lynch as he finishes eighth in Olympic final

"I've had my eyes on the Olympics and I had a very strict plan to get myself to be prepared, and I think that's what prepared me so well."

On Friday, Ben Lynch became the first ever Irish skier to reach an Olympic final. Pic: ©INPHO/Georgia Schofield

Ireland's Ben Lynch travelled to the Winter Olympics aiming for a top 15 finish in the freeski halfpipe. He achieved far more than that on Friday as he placed eighth in the final.

Earlier in the day, Lynch had made history by becoming the first Irish skier to reach an Olympic final. The 23-year-old, who was born in Dublin and raised in Canada, finished 11th in the qualifiers with the top 12 progressing.