Paris finally comes into view for Kilkenny Olympian Mia Griffin

Good things come to those who wait - just ask Mia Griffin.

The Kilkenny sports star was finally able to utter the words ‘I am an Olympian’ when Cycling Ireland officially unveiled their cycling team for the Paris games.

The Glenmore native has been selected for the Women’s Team Pursuit competition, joining forces with Lara Gillespie, Alice Sharpe, Kelly Murphy and reserve Erin Creighton. The cycling will be held at the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines Velodrome on the outskirts of the French capital this August.

Ireland’s qualification for the Olympics - all the more incredible when you consider the country doesn’t have an indoor velodrome (yet) - was a lengthy adventure which took the team halfway around the world and back. However, their hard work delivered quality results, with the team bringing the best out of each other.

“When you sit back and think of the journey we’ve been on it’s incredible,” she said. “We have a really special group in this team and we’ve gotten great performances out of each other because we’ve raised the standards up for each other. Being around them pushes me to do better every single day.”

Naturally, Griffin is raring to go in Paris, but is happy that Ireland booked their place in the Games with plenty of time to spare.

“It’s been a mental six months, but we’re happy now we can focus on the Games and prepare for it,” she said after the team had been announced. “Unlike some of the sports, where selection was only confirmed in the last while, we’ve known for a few months that we had booked a place in Paris, so that has meant less pressure on us.”

The pressure may be off, but the spotlight is definitely on Griffin and the Irish cycling team, who have captured the headlines with a series of great results indoors.

“Since the media day and the official team announcement it’s been crazy,” she said. “It was a bit of a shock as, with track cycling, we’re usually off somewhere far away so we don’t get much attention, but it’s been mental.”

While the last week may have been a blur when it comes to press duties and photoshoots, not to mention hosting an open training session for young cyclists, Griffin can see the value of promoting the sport to the next generation of cycling enthusiasts.

“It’s been tiring, but it will be great for younger cyclists to see the sport get as much attention as possible,” she said. “While we currently don’t have an indoor velodrome, once we get one the sky will be the limit.”

Qualification was confirmed a few months ago when Ireland took the silver medal at the Nations Cup in Hong Kong - but that came after a busy schedule for the team, starting with the European Championships in the Netherlands.

“After the Europeans we went to Australia to race and spent almost two months there,” she said. “That was a great training camp as we got so much track time and were really focused on what we had to do to qualify for the Olympics. The Nations Cup in Hong Kong went really well off the back of that as we were in great shape for that.”

The countdown is well and truly on now for Griffin and her team-mates.

“We have a holding camp in Majorca before the Games, but the hard work is done now,” she said. “It’s about the technical side and honing things for Paris.”