Eve McMahon is not being held back by realists as sailors are announced for Olympic Games

Eve McMahon is on her way to becoming a household name, says Irish Sailing's performance director James O'Callaghan.

McMahon has been selected along with three other Irish sailors to compete in the Olympic Regatta, which will be held in Marseille from 28 July.

With 30 collective Olympic Games between support staff and athletes, 20 year-old McMahon is the least experienced of the group that will be heading to the Olympic village next month, but doesn't feel her inexperience.

"I have been racing with the senior girls for a while. I'm very good friends with them and I have a huge amount of respect for them and I hope they have the same for me as well," McMahon told RTÉ sport.

"I have a huge amount of experience even though I'm quite young. I have a huge amount to learn still and I learn from my mistakes quite quickly.

"I think you need to be ambitious in this sport, you have to be driven and you just have to go for it," she added, regarding her perceived lofty ambitions.

McMahon has taken the title of the youngest Irish sailor to qualify for the Games, an accolade that isn't going to hold her back, insisting it's an advantage.

The Irish sailing protégé is mature beyond her years thanks to early mentorship from Olympic silver medallist Annalise Murphy and reigning Olympic champion in her category Anne-Marie Rindom.

One thing being around an Olympic champion has taught her, is the lack of pressure on her shoulders going in to her first Olympics is only a good thing.

"I feel like I'm going in as an underdog and I feel like that's a real advantage. I have been training alongside Anne-Marie (Rindom), she is defending her gold so I have seen how she is dealing with things in the run up to these games and she has been giving her