Bryan not looking beyond namesake
TRIATHLON
Daire Walsh
When it comes to admiring sporting heroes who produce it on the biggest stage of all, Bryan Keane doesn’t look any further than two famous sons of Cork.
The 35-year-old has huge respect for the way that current Republic of Ireland assistant manager Roy Keane set standards for others to follow, but is also able to identify with the approach that Irish rugby legend Ronan O’Gara brought to bear in his chosen sport.
“Growing up as a kid, even now, probably Ronan O’Gara. Someone I really admire as a sportsperson.
“Just his attitude, and his professionalism, and his approach to sport, where he gets caught up in things, and he kind of got on with it. Similar to the way Roy Keane approached it as well.
“This kind of, set the bar and that’s our standard. They didn’t get overhyped, or when you think of how O’Gara had competed.
“First of all, in competition with [David] Humphreys, and then in competition with [Jonathan] Sexton, and yet he’s still one of the highest points scorers in the world. It was an incredible period, and how cool and calm he was in and around his time for Munster and Ireland.
“You’re an out-half, and the pressure that you’ve come under, you’re going ‘you have a penalty here, or you have to get this drop goal, if you don’t we’ll lose’, and he delivered on that.
“That was always something that was inspiring to look at a leader like that, but he was just like ‘I’m just doing my job’. It wasn’t ‘lay those plaudits on me’. ‘I’m just doing my job.
“That’s what I have to do, and I’m doing it well’. I like that approach to it.”
However, the globe-trotting nature of Keane’s career has enabled him to come face-to-face with a number of athletes from different countries.
In recent years, he has developed a close friendship with Australia’s Ryan Bailie, who Keane will be racing against in Rio.
Bailie has represented Australia on the international stage since 2011, and Keane has a huge regard for the work ethic he has applied throughout his career.
“There’s an Aussie guy that I race against, who I’d admire huge amounts, and again it’s just his approach and his work ethic, a guy called Ryan Bailie. He’s a good friend of mine, but I love how he’s just gone about what he does, and I’m going to be racing him in Rio.
“We’re good friends, but I just love his story and his approach to training and he doesn’t get caught up in things.
“He just goes about his work and he gets the job done,” Keane commented.