Benjamin Lynch
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Benjamin Lynch |
| Born | 8 September 2002 Dublin, Ireland |
| Sport | |
| Country | Ireland |
| Sport | Freestyle skiing |
Event | Halfpipe |
Benjamin "Ben" Lynch (born 8 September 2002) is an Irish-Canadian freestyle skier who specializes in halfpipe. He represented Ireland at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina.[1][2]
Biography
Lynch was born in Dublin on 8 September 2002. His father, Kevin Lynch, was a collegiate rower.[3][4] He moved to Vancouver, Canada at age two and is now based in Calgary. He began competing at the age of 12 for Canada. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) approved his change of nationality from Canada to Ireland for the 2026 Winter Olympics.[5]
As a member of Ireland, Lynch competed in the men's halfpipe at the 2026 Winter Olympics. He was the first Irish skier to qualify for the final in the Winter Olympics.[6][7][8][9] He finished in eighth place.[10][11] He was Ireland's flagbearer for the Olympics closing ceremony that year.[12]
References
- ^ "Ben Lynch". Team Ireland. Retrieved 22 February 2026.
- ^ "Benjamin LYNCH". Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics. Retrieved 22 February 2026.
- ^ O'Riordan, Ian (11 February 2026). "Ben Lynch on Olympic freestyle skiing: 'It's a very cool sport when you get into it'". The Irish Times. Retrieved 22 February 2026.
- ^ "From a 17-year-old history maker to a three-time Olympian – meet Team Ireland for next month's Winter Olympics". Irish Independent. 29 January 2026. Retrieved 22 February 2026.
- ^ "IOC Executive Board approves 13 athletes' changes of sporting nationality for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games". Olympics.com. 19 September 2025. Archived from the original on 13 January 2026. Retrieved 22 February 2026.
- ^ "Ben Lynch finishes eighth after making history as first Irish skier to qualify for Winter Olympics final". Irish Independent. 20 February 2026. Retrieved 22 February 2026.
- ^ "Lynch makes history by reaching Winter Olympics final". RTÉ.ie. 20 February 2026. Retrieved 22 February 2026.
- ^ Kelly, Niall (20 February 2026). "Ireland's Ben Lynch qualifies for Winter Olympics final in freestyle skiing halfpipe". The 42. Retrieved 22 February 2026.
- ^ "Ireland's Ben Lynch Becomes First Irish Skier To Qualify For Winter Olympics Final". Kildare's Kfm. Retrieved 22 February 2026.
- ^ Farrell, Sinead (20 February 2026). "Ireland's Ben Lynch takes eighth place after making history to reach Winter Olympics final". The 42. Retrieved 22 February 2026.
- ^ "Ben Lynch: Irish skier claims eighth in halfpipe final". BBC Sport. 20 February 2026. Retrieved 22 February 2026.
- ^ "Freestyle skier Ben Lynch named flagbearer for Winter Olympics closing ceremony". WLRFM.com. 22 February 2026. Retrieved 1 March 2026.