Thomas Barr eyes the Diamond lights as he looks to build on Euro medal
By Daire Walsh
He made the podium at last month’s European Championships and now Waterford hurdler Thomas Barr is hell-bent on reaching greater heights in his blossoming athletics career.
After falling agonisingly short at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, the 26-year-old Dunmore East native secured a bronze at the 400m hurdles final in Berlin.
And already his focus is turning towards the Tokyo Olympics in just under two years’ time.
In order to build towards that objective, Barr yesterday confirmed he will be competing abroad on a more regular basis in advance of the 2019 World Championships in Doha.
I have a really good training group in Limerick and that’s actually what keeps me going through the winter. I was training predominantly with Paul Byrne and Ben Kiely this year, who are two of the best hurdlers in Ireland at the moment. I’m well able to push myself at training,” Barr explained.
“I’m happy with my set-up, but when it comes to competition then, I’ll be going abroad a lot more often.
“I’ll be trying to get into the Diamond leagues or the IAAF challenge meets because that’s where I’m going to get the best races. It’s a later season this year, because Doha is not on until October, which is the World Championships. It’ll probably be June, July before I open my season,” Barr said at the launch of the Irish Life Health Schools Fitness Challenge for 2018.
While he acknowledged his European heroics will help him to make the invitational list for forthcoming race meets, it is nevertheless important he hits the ground running during the opening weeks of the new season.
“I have a race agent based in the UK [David Scott, Stellar Athletics], who has all the contacts with all the meet organisers and meet directors. He puts out my name and pushes for me to be in those meets.
Obviously the medal is going to help in getting me into those early meets, but if I don’t run well early on, they won’t be keen to invite me back.
“It’s key that I get one or two good races in at the start and that’s what will start the ball rolling then as well. Hopefully I’ll be fit and fast enough to get into some of those bigger races. Keep building that profile and just let it become the norm that I’m racing against the best guys in the world. So that when it comes to the Worlds, it’s like any other day.”
Currently, in the midst of a five-week break from all forms of training, Barr reiterated his ambition to reach the hurdles decider at Tokyo 2020. But the UL graduate is acutely aware of all potential pitfalls.
“Do you know what, there’s always more pressure on the heats and semi-finals. Because if you mess them up, you’ve missed out on the chance to even get a medal. At least when you’re in the final, the hard work is done. All you have to do go out and run and trying to execute the best race you can. If you mess it up there, then it’s unlucky.
“But I think if you’re in a position where you mess it up in the heats or the semi-final, and you do something stupid, then it’s really, really annoying. Because you’ve missed that chance. Getting to the final, it’s a fresh sheet. It’s anyone’s game to play for on the day.”
Even before Barr medalled in Germany, the profile of Irish athletics had been enhanced by the country’s incredible success at underage competitions. With Limerick teenager Ciara Neville and her fellow athletes making waves, the Ferrybank AC club man has been delighted to witness the encouraging direction the sport is heading in.
“All the news this year in athletics has been so positive. Because the youths, juniors, and the U18s have performed so well, and it was great. It generated such a buzz and it’s great to have medal winning talent, Irish girls in particular, winning medals on the World and European stage.”