Chloe and Sam Magee were back where it all began for them today, in the Raphoe Recreation Hall, just over a week after winning a European bronze medal.
The Magee siblings won bronze at the 2017 European Championships in Denmark to capture Ireland’s first medal at this level.
Pictures by North West News Pix
The Raphoe duo made history with a stunning 22-20 17-21 21-12 win over former European champions Robert Mateusiak and Nadiezda Zieba of Poland in a quarter-final.
“It put something down to define our career,” Sam Magee said.
“We’re so happy to get it. I thought we had a chance, but to get it now pays off all the support that we’ve had. We’ve had a lot of support. This is the only way that we can build the profile of the sport.”
The Magees were beaten by Danish number 1 seeds and defending European Champions Joachim Fischer Nielsen and Christinna Pedersen 21-14 21-10 at the Sydbank Arena in Kolding in the semis.
Chloe Magee competed at the Olympic Games in Beijing, London and Rio – she is Donegal’s only three-time Olympian – but has parked her singles career to pursue the mixed doubles partnership with Sam.
She said: “We’re working hard and now we’re getting the rewards. We’ve been playing well recently. We knew that the form was good going there – but we had to put it down on paper. I’ve always wanted a European medal to show that I’m up there with the best in Europe.”
Listen to the full interview below …
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