The experienced Irish Olympic hurdler and sprinter explains how he has managed to maintain his longevity
Hordes of young fans had gathered excitedly trackside for the chance to get Thomas Barr’s autograph, possibly even a selfie with their hero, as he celebrated his 12th national title at the 2024 Irish Championships.
Under the circumstances, he could have been forgiven for sneaking out of a side exit; the 32-year-old had just won the 400m hurdles in 50.61 (having clocked a hard-fought 49.60 in qualifying the previous day) but had fallen “very short” of his own goals which included achieving the Olympic qualifying standard of 48.70. Yet, amidst the post-race commotion, he opted not to leave but to spend an hour and a half signing autographs, putting smiles on the faces of everyone around him.
“Thank you…” he wrote modestly on Instagram afterwards. “You made me feel proper famous for a few hours.”
While narrowly missing out on selection for the 400m hurdles in Paris – Barr was ranked 42nd (from a maximum of 40) when the qualifying window closed – the two-time Olympian was still selected for the mixed 4x400m relay, an event in which he won an incredible European Championships gold in June. It was a remarkable achievement for the Ferrybank athlete who went to his first major championships a decade ago and, at his peak, finished fourth at the Olympic Games in Rio in an Irish record of 47.97.
In an event he acknowledges has moved on substantially in recent years from a technical and endurance-based discipline to one which is increasingly speed-based, he credits his consistency and longevity to his University of Limerick-based coaches Hayley and Drew Harrison and the training ethos they’ve created.
“They really are the brains behind the operation,” says the 2018 European Championships bronze medallist. “I haven’t had to do a huge amount of thinking when it comes to training. As I’ve got older I’ve had a little bit more input, but Hayley is so in tune with what each individual athlete needs… I’ve been very lucky that a lot of the ‘thinking’ part of getting myself to a level where I can perform at my best has been out of my control to a certain extent, which makes my life much easier.
“Hayley and Drew have a huge amount of experience, coaching athletes at international level all the way back down to grass roots. Even now, in the training group, anybody that’s within the university that wants to give athletics a go…
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