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World of Sport

07th Sep 2016

Irish rower Ailish Sheehan in critical condition following freak fall, hours after winning European bronze

Sheehan sustained serious head injuries

Ben Kiely

23-year-old Ailish Sheehan sustained serious head injuries after falling on a footpath in Poland.

The Limerick native had claimed bronze for Team Great Britain at the FISU World University Championships alongside her teammates Rebecca Edwards, Annie Withers and Gillian Cooper just hours before the freak accident, as David Raleigh reports for the Irish Times.

Sheehan was rushed to hospital after the fall where she was placed on life support. A family spokesperson confirmed that she was in critical condition and will undergo more tests on Wednesday and Thursday.

The former St Michael’s Rowing Club member claimed fourth for Ireland in the fours at the World Under-23 Rowing Championships in 2013 after winning a scholarship to Notre Dame in the United States in 2011.

According to her profile on Dooneen Athletic club’s official website, prior to focusing on rowing, Ailish established herself as one of Ireland’s leading javelin throwers in Ireland and has represented her country at International Schools level and later at the Celtic Games in Scotland.

Image credit: @NDRowing/Twitter

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