The old sports adage says “nice guys finish last”, but Irish Olympian Thomas Barr is one of the exceptions.
With his record-breaking 400 metres hurdle Olympic final performance from Rio just eight days old, a masters degree in sports performance was conferred on Barr at the University of Limerick yesterday.
None of his 24 fellow class graduates could argue that the accolade “master in sports performance” rested best on the Waterford native’s shoulders. Barr received a standing ovation as well as his scroll in a crowded UL Concert Hall.
Speaking afterwards, he said of the tribute: “It was insane. I was nearly more taken aback by that than when I was running in the stadium, because I was so out of my comfort zone. It was amazing.”
His emphatic performance in Brazil, in which he became the first Irish man to run an Olympic 400 metres hurdle final in over 80 years, has “still has not sunk in,” added Barr, who also has a degree in Mechanical Engineering from UL.
“I still feel like the same person, but now it just takes a bit longer to go down to the shop to get a bit of bread, because I have to chat to a lot people,” he joked.
Barr said he owed everything to UL, where he met his coaches, Drew and Hayley Harrison. He also paid tribute to his parents, who convinced him to continue running when he had all but given up on an athletics career. “I was on the verge of giving up the sport, but I got into a really good training group at UL, and, my parents convinced me to stick with it. I met my coaches, Hayley and Drew Harrison, here.
“They brought me on to where I am today. I also joined up with Tommy Cummins, a strength and conditioning coach who’s also based out of Limerick. It’s a team that’s really worked well.”
The 24-year-old, whose academic skills still flourished despite him spending day and night on the UL athletics track, added: “I’m glad I came here. I’ve come away with two degrees as well.”
Barr now has his sights firmly set on taking a medal at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. “I’m finished studying and I’m going to focus on my athletics career and be a full-time athlete. I’ll be based in UL for the next few years. I’ve a good set-up here,” he added.
“He is one of our greatest Olympians,” UL president Don Barry noted.
Barr’s parents, Tommy and Martina, and sister Jessie attended the ceremony.
“We’re very proud of him. He has excelled in both his athletics career and his academic career – there’s nothing more I can say,” Barr’s father said. “He’s got a smart head, and he blew us away in Rio. Today has been a really proud day for us,” added his mother Martina.
The last word was left to Barr’s grandmother Breda French (78), who simply said: “I love him to bits.”
