Emily Kay has been selected, with Shannon McCurley, as the women’s Madison line-up for Ireland for the Olympic Games

The Irish track team has been unveiled for the Olympic Games, with some surprises in the line-up of female riders selected.

Shannon McCurley and Emily Kay have been named for the women’s madison, with Lydia Gurley as reserve.

The selection means Lydia Boylan misses out despite making a fantastic contribution towards Ireland qualifying for the Games. A bad crash earlier this year appears to have put in dent in her bid to make the team.

However, with so much time having passed since Ireland qualified, and with competition for places so intense, the make-up of the team always going to come down to the wire.

Felix English and Mark Downey will represented Ireland in the madison in Tokyo

And with 2016 Olympian McCurley having made a successful return after injury and the vastly experienced Kay having clearly impressed the selectors, they are the preferred choice.

For the men’s madison, the pairing of Mark Downey and Felix English have been selected, with fellow international track rider Fintan Ryan getting the nod as reserve.

That pairing of Downey and English was expected as they have gelled very well together in recent years. And with Ryan also working well with board riders on the boards that is a strong trio bound for the Tokyo, as is the case with the female selection.

As well as the madison event, Ireland have also earned places in the omnium. Kay will ride the women’s omnium in Tokyo 2020 while the men’s omnium place is yet to be confirmed.

More to come.

Shannon McCurley at the Games in Rio in 2016, when she was Ireland’s only rider to qualify. Now she is back for her second Games, this time in Tokyo