Main menu:
Deaflympics > Waterpolo
An Interview with Declan Kearney
Apparently you came out of retirement to participate in this Deaflympics, what made you change your mind?
To clarify the point first, I didn't quite retire in the first place but have not taken part in Water Polo for a long time after the European Championship in Hungary at 2006. However, I came back as it was an opportunity to win a medal for Water Polo in the Deaflympics. I have won medals for swimming in Deaflympics back in 1997 in Denmark as well as in an European Championship and I have done the same for Water Polo in an European Championship. I wish to complete the set by winning a medal for Water Polo in the Deaflympics.
We have several youngsters forming the Water Polo team; do you think we will have a strong future ahead of us?
At present we have strong young players and this year could easily see the best ever Deaf National team competing in the highest standards. But I have grave concerns for the future of the national team as several senior members including me are bound to retire in the coming years. This coupled with the fact we have no fixed grassroots based young players coming into the scene, one could say this year's team may well be national team's only hope of landing a Gold Medal in the Deaflympics.
Will you be carrying onto the next European Championship since it will take place in Dublin, Ireland our home country?
The temptation is definitely there but I really cannot say right now. It obviously will depend on our performance in the Games. As I have a young family back home, my main priority will always be with the family and I very much doubt I will have time to train and compete now that my children are becoming more active!
During the Opening Ceremony, could you briefly describe the emotions going through you when you took part in the parade around the stadium?
When comparing the ceremony to the one in 1997, the standards in Taipei were much higher and the atmosphere of it all was truly amazing. I am thankful to be present and witness it all. For the first time I felt like a proper Olympian taking part in the Games. Taiwanese people made me feel like a professional and times like these made me even more proud to be representing Ireland.
After witnessing the opening two matches today, do you think we have a chance of landing a medal with the team?
Yes, most definitely but it is up to us to perform well. Overall Hungary is the favourite but we are capable of upsetting them.
Thanks very much for your time and I look forward to a favourable set of results in the coming days.
_________________________________________________________________________________
DAY 4 - An Interview with the National Directors
As the national directors for Swimming and Water Polo respectively, you both were requested to attend the ICSD Technical Directors meeting today, could you describe the main purposes of such meeting?
Donal: The meeting was an opportunity to discuss the preparation plans which included discussion on the pool arrangements, changing room locations, protest procedures, general rules. This way we would be informed of any potential changes to the usual rules. Also we chatted about future competitions such as World and European Championships.
Sean: Pretty much the same as Donal explained earlier on but to add a few things; this is a rare opportunity to meet other Water Polo directors from other countries. There we would catch up formally with the ICSD Technical Director for Water Polo. He would go through the fixtures, general arrangements and the technology used during the competition. A representative from FINA would be present to address any concerns/queries we may have on the rules.
Both the Swimming and Water Polo games are to be held in 80km outside Taipei while the rest of sports are held in the city. Why is this the case?
Donal: The pool beside the main Deaflympics event is not officially sized pool and the one at Hsinchu seems to have ticked all the boxes. The Swimmers along with Water Polo players will relocate to a hotel nearby for a week. While this can be quite annoying, I can see it being a positive on the whole as it will allow the swimmers/players to be focused in their races/matches. For the last three days, we will return back to the city and will have the chance to mingle with the other athletes.
Were there any surprise revelations in the meeting?
Sean: There were two certain revelations which took me by surprise. The first one was the fact that the Water Polo sport will be scrapped for the next Deaflympics in Athens. This is due to the ICSD demanding a minimum of 12 teams entering the competition which is rather impossible these days. This will come as a shock to the players but hopefully will motivate them to put in a 110% effort to win. Another announcement was rather positive. We will be having access to new technology – flashing devices surrounding the pool, this will enable the game to be better managed by the referees. We are eager to check the devices out in action tomorrow.
Are you set for the Opening Ceremony tomorrow?
Donal: I was lucky to have had the opportunity to attend the pre-opening ceremony yesterday. It was a chance to witness all the displays as we will not witness it all during the official opening ceremony tomorrow. It definitely promises to be one of the highlights and will match the standards set in the Beijing Olympics last year!
What is the current spirit in the Irish Camp like?
Sean: After settling into routines, all athletes are excited about the forthcoming matches/races and are buoyed by the Irish victory against the USA in football. It is a great start to the Games and we will be looking into maintaining the high spirit in the week to come!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
DAY 3 - An Interview with Eoin Nolan and Vincent McArdle
As players participating in both codes (Water Polo & Swimming) in the Games, how will you cope with the extra workload and matches?
Eoin: Deaflympics is a rare occurrence and comes once every four years, so it is a great opportunity to participate in two codes in the Games. Extra training can be really difficult as it increases the chance to get injured. However, I will be doing my best to take extra care of myself.
Vincent: The way I see it, it’s a challenge worth taking on. The experience gained over the period will be well worth it. Basically it boils down on my belief, if I believe I am capable of doing both then why not!
Which code would be the main priority during the Games?
Vincent: It would have to be swimming for I have trained with a swimming club for the majority of my life. However, being a swimmer will obviously benefit the Water Polo team and I hope to make a significant contribution to the team. I strongly believe in making the most of it when I still can.
Eoin: Water Polo for me, I play for a club in Division 1 back home and I also have a role in the team as the vice-captain. While this may increase my workload, the current captain Paul Ryder has everything under control and it will enable me to focus on training for both codes.
In swimming, what would be your best stroke and at what race would you hope to make a significant impact?
Eoin: For me, it would have to be either the 50m or 100m Freestyle but I would say the 50m is the main race I will be competing at.
Vincent: I’m purely a freestyler, both 100m and 200m are my preference and I hope to excel in both races.
As you both will be wearing the hotly debated LZR Speedos/Blue 70 suits, do you not think it would give you an unfair advantage?
Vincent: Well, I don’t think it is an unfair advantage if everyone is wearing it. If I refrained from wearing it then it would pose a big disadvantage and waste all my training to date. We still do a significant amount of training beforehand and this will also play a part in the race.
Eoin: Like Vincent above, it can be unfair but who am I to say no when other swimmers will be wearing it. It can be evident that technologies play a significant role in other sports and will always be the case in the future. I fear we will not hear the end of it when they ban certain suits next year.
Right, a question for Eoin, will you be hoping to go one level better than bronze at the European Deaf Water Polo Championship in Hungary at 2006?
Eoin: Yes, most definitely as it will be the first time the Irish have entered a Water Polo team in the Games and we are competing to win. Also, as I have got Gold from the last Deaflympics in Melbourne, it would be nice to get another one for Water Polo!
Vincent, are you targeting a certain number of medals in swimming?
Vincent: I don’t quite expect any medals in swimming as I have come here to do my best. However, if I do get some then great!
Thanks very much for your time, I wish you both all the best in the Games!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
DAY 2 - An Interview with Sean Herlihy – IDSA Water Polo Director
Hi, how are you and the team? Have the team fully settled in yet after arrival yesterday?
I’m grand, thanks. Yes the team have settled in here and are very much looking forward to the forthcoming matches scheduled to begin on Sunday.
How much of a factor will both the humidity and jetlag affect the players?
As expected, the players are bitten by the jetlag and thankfully have enough time to recover before the scheduled matches. We have four days of regular training sessions and have rigid routine in place to help the players adjust to Taiwanese time. As for the humidity, it will no doubt affect the players. They train in outdoors pool but measures are in place to help them acclimate to the humidity here. However, the matches will be held at indoors and this will help us a lot.
How long has the team prepared for the Games this month?
We have pretty much trained on a regular basis after landing bronze at the European Deaf Water Polo Championship back in 2006. For the last 10 months, we have upped the intensity and frequency of training sessions in the run up to the Games. Fitness test was carried out monthly by Kevin from Half Moon Water Polo Club and reports were then fed back to Dave Fitzgerald the Head Coach. He also devised a program for the players to adhere to and it clearly has paid off. Dave has acknowledged a significant improvement since last year.
How much have the players as a whole improved since the European Championship in 2006?
They have improved by a large margin as the average age during the European Championship was rather young and on that basis, they have since matured a lot and have gotten a lot more fit. Tactically, we now are capable of combining a series of tactics with speed and strength. Also, the majority of the players have left their original club, Dublin Celts, to clubs competing in higher divisions 1 and 2. Such exposure to fierce competition has boosted their performance in the national team. Hopefully this will prove to be a real asset in the matches to come.
Which country would you regard as the favourite and what plans have you got in beating such opponent?
I would rate Hungary and Germany highly since they are the current European Champions and Deaflympics Champions respectively. So it is clear that they are worthy opponents. However, we fear no teams in this competition and will be out to beat any team in our path.
As the next European Championship will be held in Dublin, would Gold be a reasonable target?
Most definitely, having the Championship in our back garden will be of a great advantage and we will be sure to have a good crowd turning out to support our boys in green. The team has developed a lot over the past few years and we will be looking to achieve Gold this time round.
Many thanks for your time, I wish you all the best in your quest!