Women in Sport: Super Sanita is now a legend on Leeside

ROWING superstar Sanita Puspure continues to go from strength to strength as she heads into the Olympic Games.

And everybody in her hometown of Ballincollig in county Cork and all around Cork and Ireland will be cheering her on as she represents us in her third Olympic Games, and this will be the one where she is destined to come away with a medal. Her misfortunate in the previous two Olympics, London and Rio, is well documented, but this time is different, Sanita is at the top of her game.

There is little doubt that had the Olympics gone ahead last year Sanita would have had a gold medal around her neck and be Ireland’s first Olympic rowing gold medalist.

Either way, she is making history this year in her third Olympic Games. Ireland has competed at rowing in 12 Olympic Games, the first time being in 1948 in London.

And across those years we have had 22 Irish crews in Olympics action. This year Sanita equals the record of Niall O’Toole as a three-time Olympian and wants to go one better than the result achieved by Gary and Paul O’Donovan when they captured silver at the nation’s hearts at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

And while Gary goes again this year, this time with Fintan McCarthy, first up for Ireland will be Sanita Puspure in her bid for Olympic glory.

Sanita, 39, is currently World Champion in the women’s single sculls category and won two consecutive World Championships in 2018 and 2019. In 2019, Sanita qualified the Women’s Single Scull for the 2020 Olympics, and retained her European Championship, winning gold in Poznan.

In her first competitive outing since 2020 Sanita took part in the 2021 World Rowing Cup II in Lucerne, Switzerland, and won bronze for Ireland.

After the bronze medal win Sanita Puspure told World Rowing: “I gave it my best. I know I will be behind the whole (Irish) team in terms of my form. 

It was a tough race and I didn’t necessarily expect to be on the podium but it was really exciting to race.”

The back-to-back World and European champion is one of Ireland’s greatest athletes and is an inspiration to present and future athletes.

With the Olympics moving to 2021 Russian Hannah Prakhatsen has emerged as another medal contender and Sanita got a chance to get a close look at Hannah during this year’s World Rowing Cup II, which Hannah won.

But keep in mind Sanita was not competition-ready and just returning to competitive racing.

And she has the determination to succeed as she hunts down that Olympic medal that has evaded her so far. And ready for her Olympics gold medal showdown with Hannah Prakhatsen.

Sanita is a superstar of Irish sport and had twice won the Echo Women In Sport annual award. She has given much of her life to her sport and tasted success all along the way.

Rich in talent, Sanita has made sacrifices all along the journey, and speaking to The Echo as she was chosen as last year’s overall winner, she said it was an ‘honour’ to be chosen.

“It’s so nice to be nominated and it’s just so special to win this Echo Women In Sport award.”

Sanita was aware from a long way out that this Olympics was going to be different.

Speaking to The Echo Sanita said “preparations are going well and the end is in sight now.”

She has the mental strength to focus on the goal. While it wasn’t ideal that the Olympics was pushed out by a year, Sanita just says... “It’s just one year later, I’m one year older, and I’m one year wiser!”

She has been preparing for the big Olympic stage out at the National Rowing Centre in Farran, County Cork. But it’s going to be tough not having the family along on this Olympic journey, an event that is going to be so much different. “Yes, the Olympics will be different this year for sure,” says Sanita. “I was hoping to be able to go to the closing ceremony this time, but that won’t be possible now because athletes have to leave the Olympic village 48 hours after their event ends.”

Sanita didn’t go to the closing ceremony in Rio five years ago after her disappointment of not making it to the final. “No, I didn’t go to the closing ceremony in Rio, and now I can’t go to the closing ceremony in Tokyo, which is disappointing.”

But the biggest blow for Sanita is not having Kaspar, Daniella and Patrick there with her in Tokyo.

“We were so looking forward to going to Japan together,” said Sanita. “That is the saddest thing for me, as they have been to the previous two Olympics with me.”

It’s going to be quite a different Olympics this year with no spectators, a different experience.

When it comes to the Olympics Sanita has always had her eye on the prize. She will adapt to the situation, and get it done!

There can be no doubt this time Sanita will be returning to Cork with that Olympic medal.