The Winter Olympics have kicked off in PyeongChang, South Korea. Here are the names of the athletes flying the Irish flag.
Seamus O'Connor
California native O'Connor qualifies for Ireland through his grandparents. The 20-year-old snowboarder previously competed at the Sochi Winter Olympics in 2014.
Currently living in Utah, the athlete, who turned pro at the ripe age of 13, was given the honor of carrying the Irish flag during the Opening Ceremony.
"I am overwhelmed with honor and pride having been given the opportunity to represent the people and nation of Ireland as well as my incredible team who will walk with me into the ceremonies. Éirinn go Brách ?? ," he wrote on his Instagram page.
Tess Arbez
French wonder skier Arbez qualifies for Ireland through her late, Carlow-born father, Francis.
The 20-year-old, who skis downhill at a mind-boggling speed of 130km/hour, previously competed in the Alpine World Championships.
Arbez and her older brother have both skied for Ireland at a competitive level. Olympic blood runs in the family: their great uncle was a contender in the 1968 Grenoble Olympics in the ski jump category.
Arbez will compete in the Slalom and the Giant Slalom in PyeongChang.
Thomas Westgard
Norway-born skier Thomas Moloney Westgard qualifies for the Irish team through his mother.
The 22-year-old made his debut for Ireland at the 2016 Cross-Country World Cup. Last month, he came third in the Austrian Championships.
He competes in the Cross-Country skiing, a favorite of his fellow Norwegians.
The pressure is on for Westgard, as Norwegians usually perform the best at the Winter Olympics. With over 300 medals to date, they are by far the top performers at the Games.
Brendan 'Bubba' Newby
Cork-born skier Newby can count on the luck of the Irish. The 21-year-old initially missed out on qualifying for the games, until a fellow competitor's injury led to his being given a spot.
The athlete, with his distinctive long blond hair, moved to Utah at a young age with his American parents.
He will be competing in the halfpipe in Korea, and he is stoked to be representing Ireland: "I switched to skiing for Ireland because growing up in Park City, Utah, you've got Winter Olympians and Olympians everywhere. You've got role-models to see on the hill and Ireland doesn't really have that," he told Off The Ball.
Patrick McMillan
McMillan is no stranger to the spotlight. The budding sportsman previously represented Leinster rugby in the Under 19 category.
The Donegal-born athlete is now based in Austria, honing his skills on the slopes.
The 26-year-old skier has previously represented Ireland in the last two Alpine World Championships. At the Winter Olympics, he will compete in the Slalom, the Super-G, and the Downhill event.
Are you watching the Winter Olympics so far? Who are you cheering on? Let us know in the comments section, below.
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