KIERAN BEHAN became the latest Irish sportsperson to earn a ticket to this summer’s Olympic Games after securing 34th position at the London Prepares gymnastics test event.
The 22-year-old Surrey-based athlete placed sixth in the floor discipline at the North Greenwich arena on Tuesday night, but had to wait until yesterday to find out that it was good enough to earn a place in Olympics.
London-born Behan – his father is from Dublin and his mother from Monaghan – revealed he was in a state of shock when he discovered he was only the second gymnast to represent Ireland at a summer Games after Barry McDonald competed at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.
“I was just jumping around the room crying my eyes out. I was just so chuffed. It really is a dream come true,” said Behan, who has battled back from several serious health setbacks to realise his goal.
A non-cancerous tumour was discovered on his leg when he was 10, leaving him in a wheelchair. Behan recovered and 15 months later he was back in the gym only for a freak training accident to leave him with brain damage.
Behan, then aged 12, slipped while working on the high bar causing the back of his head to land on the apparatus, which damaged his inner ear and caused him to black out with any sudden movement.
It meant he had to relearn how to do simple things such as sitting and how to move his head and left him unable to train for three years. After a great deal of rehabilitation and support from his family and friends, Behan returned to the gym and gained several youth accolades, but a double injury blow ruled him out until the end of 2010 after he ruptured the anterior cruciate ligaments in both of his knees in separate incidents.
However, World Cup series success last year and a solid performance at the World Championships in Tokyo earned him the chance to qualify at the test event, which he duly took.
“To think years and years ago I was told ‘you’re never going to be able to walk again let alone do gymnastics’ to find out I’m going to the Olympic Games is something that dreams are made of,” added Behan.
“To come from all that and everything that’s happened with injuries I’ve got the luck of the Irish on my side most definitely.
“I wouldn’t be here now if it wasn’t for my friends and family and coaches and everyone who has stuck around and been there supporting me.” Behan, who will compete in today’s floor final at the test event, is already focusing on what he needs to do ahead of the Games.
“I’m going to try and max out my speciality piece which is my floor,” he said. “I’ve definitely got the execution I just need a little bit more on my start value now and that would be the main objective for 2012.
“It’s going to be fantastic to represent Ireland and do six pieces at the Olympic Games. It is what dreams are made of.”
Meanwhile, the Olympic torch relay planned for Dublin city on June 6th may now involve fewer than 40 runners.
The Olympic Council of Ireland (OCI) has said because of the number of people and organisations who have asked to take part, they may resort to a lottery system to choose the final candidates.
Since the OCI announced before Christmas the torch relay had been secured for Dublin they have had a massive number of applications, which now numbers several hundreds.
The council will have more accurate information about the logistics in two weeks’ time following a scheduled meeting with the Games’ organising committee.
