Elsa Desmond

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Elsa Desmond
2018-11-22 Rennrodel-Weltcup Innsbruck-Igls StP 5380 LR10 by Stepro-2.jpg
Desmond in 2018
Personal information
Born (1997-08-06) 6 August 1997 (age 28)
Buckingham, Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom
Alma mater King's College London
Occupation physician / olympics
Years active2018–present
Sport
CountryFlag of Ireland.svg Ireland
SportLuge pictogram.svg Luge
Rank 27th World Cup Overall Women's Singles Overall 2023/2024 [1]
Event
Singles
Coached by Adam Rosen [2]
Achievements and titles
Olympic finals 2022
World finals 2019 FIL World Luge Championships, 2021 FIL World Luge Championships, 2023 FIL World Luge Championships, 2024 FIL World Luge Championships [1]
Highest world ranking 10th (2019 U23 World Championships) [1]

Elsa Desmond (born 6 August 1997), nicknamed the "Flying Doctor" [3] is an English-born luger who competes for Ireland. [1] [4] [5] She was Irelands first Olympic luge athlete and the Irish flag bearer in the opening ceremony of the 2022 Winter Olympics. [6]

Contents

Early life

Desmond was born in Buckingham in 1997. [7] Her paternal grandparents were from County Cavan and County Cork, Ireland. [8] She grew up in England, India and Turkey, and was part of the University of London Air Squadron. [4]

Sporting career

Desmond at the 2021-22 Luge World Cup. 2022-01-14 Women's Sprint at 2021-22 Oberhof Luge World Cup by Sandro Halank-059.jpg
Desmond at the 2021–22 Luge World Cup.
Desmond at the 2021 FIL World Luge Championships 2021-01-31 Women's at the FIL World Luge Championships Konigssee 2021 by Sandro Halank-147.jpg
Desmond at the 2021 FIL World Luge Championships

Desmond began to compete internationally in luge in 2018. Elsa founded the Irish Luge Federation with support from her family to allow her to compete internationally, and continues to be a fully self funded athlete. [9] She competed for Ireland at the 2022 Winter Olympics in the women's singles event becoming Irelands first luge athlete to compete at the Olympics. [10] [11] She continues to run the Irish Luge Federation alongside coaching the growing junior team with the aim of ensuring the longevity of the sport within Ireland, while aiming to again make history at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano-Cortina. [12]

At the 2024 Winter Youth Olympics in Gangwon, South Korea Desmond was the team leader for the Irish luge team, coaching youth athlete Lily Cooke. [13]

Womens World Cup Season Results

SeasonRankingPoints
2018/19 4328
2019/20 61-
2020/21 508
2021/22 5413
2022/23 3171
2023/24 26102

Championship Results

YearEventRanking
2019 U23 World Championship Winterberg.10
2019 World Championship Winterberg.30
2019 European Championships Oberhof 24
2021 World Championship Konigssee.40
2023 World Championship Oberhof.35
2023 European Championships Sigulda.20
2024 World Championship Oberhof.34
2024 European Championships Innsbruck.27

Olympic Results

YearHost CityRanking
2022 Beijing.33

FIL Official Results [1]

Personal life

Desmond studied medicine at King's College London, and began to work at Southend University Hospital in July 2021. [14] She aims to pursue a career in emergency medicine or anaesthetics with the aim of eventually working in the Air medical services. [12]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Athletes. Elsa Desmond".
  2. ↑ "Luge World Cup: Elsa Desmond on a pathway to the 2022 Winter Olympics". Royal Borough Observer. September 25, 2018.
  3. ↑ Kantchev, Georgi. "The Mom-and-Pop Operation That Sent Ireland's 'Flying Doctor' to Beijing". The Wall Street Journal.
  4. 1 2 Fennessy, Paul (January 21, 2021). "The medical student who has made sporting history for Ireland". The42.
  5. ↑ O'Riordan, Ian. "Ireland names six-strong Beijing Winter Olympics team". The Irish Times.
  6. ↑ "Beijing-2022 Opening Ceremony Flag-Bearers". www.olympics.com/. International Olympic Committee (IOC). February 4, 2022. Retrieved February 4, 2022.
  7. ↑ "Elsa Desmond - Player Profile - Luge". Eurosport.
  8. ↑ O'Donoghue, Conor. "Meet some of the Irish athletes aiming to make the 2022 Winter Olympics in 60 days". The Irish Post.
  9. ↑ "Daredevil doctor Elsa Desmond blazes trail as Ireland's first Olympic luger". olympics.
  10. ↑ "2022 Winter Olympics Games: Irish team aiming to do a 'Cool Runnings' in Beijing". independent. January 24, 2022.
  11. ↑ "Introducing....Elsa Desmond (LUGE) | d jhbnn#TeamIreland - Olympics". olympics.ie/. December 2, 2021.
  12. 1 2 "Dr Elsa Desmond" (PDF). squarespace.com.
  13. ↑ "Cookham's Elsa Desmond helping to bring through the next generation of Luge athletes". maidenhead advertiser.
  14. ↑ Whitehouse, Ellis (January 26, 2022). "Essex doctor competing in Winter Olympics in China". EssexLive.


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