CIARAN O’LIONAIRD HAS expressed his disappointment after failing to qualify for 1500m semi-finals at the Olympic Games, suggesting he is considering his future in the sport.
Speaking to RTE, O’Lionaird said he will have to “reevaluate his life” and revealed that he may “find something else to do”.
Advertisement
“I was on a good plan before this,” he added.
The Cork native explained that he did not want to “dwell” on the failure and admitted that he was “eager to get away” from the Olympics and be reunited with friends and family.
O’Lionaird also suggested he was not fully fit to compete this evening, saying his performance was like “running on a flat tire”.
However, he explained that should he quit running, he’ll “find something else to compete in, because I’m a competitive guy”.
Speaking to TheScore.ie’s Will Downing, O’Lionaird added that “he still isn’t where he was last year” and “that his achilles still hurts day in day out”.
I’m sure he’ll be successful in whatever he does and making it to the Olympics is a great achievement. But it’s also really nice to see an athlete have perspective that there is life after sport, as unfortunately, most sporting careers do have a short time frame.
When you stick a microphone up someone’s nose immediately after they fail to live up to their own expectations you can be sure that they’re demoralized. He is a great prospect for Rio and hopefully the press will go away and give him time to lick his wounds and come back revitalized.
When you stick a microphone up someone’s nose immediately after they fail to live up to their own expectations you can be sure that they’re demoralized. He is a great prospect for Rio and hopefully the press will go away and give him time to lick his wounds and come back revitalized.
Getting to the Olympics itself is amazing. Sometimes the performance just doesn’t happen on the day for whatever reason. Good luck in whatever you decide to do in the future.
As a gold medal winning Olympian Leona, I would expect that you’d show sympathy and support for a fellow athlete as opposed to the attitude reflected in your comment
Funny that there is absolutely no record of a Leona smullen representing Ireland last year. Shame on you for trying to jump on the wonderful bandwagon of the special Olympics.
Obviously a hard working, great athlete but must question the IOC / Athletics Ireland sending him as by his own admission he’s been injured for a year with only one months training before London. I feel sorry for the uninjured, unknown Irish athlete that should have been there but didn’t get the opportunity.
Any Irish athlete that made the A standard went… With two exceptions. It is not like he ‘took’ somebodies spot. He made the standard, even if it was last year.
Was just on the Special Olympics website and there is no record of any Leona Smullen among the travelling athletes for Greece 2011. Either there’s a mistake on the website or you are a pretty warped individual? Which is it??
How dare any of you accuse me of making this up. I did represent my country at the Special Olympics. I won a medal in football. I’m not using my real name on here.
Thought in his interview that he came across as flippant and uncaring – a pity, as I would have felt that being chosen for ones Country was a huge honour?
Maybe with some personal reflection and much more maturity, he might come across better and then his performances might also improve too?
Leona the Irish women’s special Olympic football team were beaten in the final by Greece. Now quit digging a hole for yourself, you should be ashamed of yourself.
you’re right I should be ashamed of myself for not using my real identity. I lied I didnt go to Greece last year. In 2003 when Ireland hosted it I was part of the team. I was a member of the football team. I stayed in Lucan for a week and then I stayed in NUI Maynooth campus for the duration of the games. The football games were out in UCD. And I did win medal.
I know Leona well, she’s actually a sister of Johnny Knoxville and married one of the famous Smullens from Ring, Co. Waterford. I couldn’t vouch for them though but going by Johnny I’d say she’d have something to do with the special Olympics alright.
just hate to see someone jump on the bandwagon of the special olympics and doing a disservice to the great athletes that do represent Ireland in the special Olympics.
Why if you know what it’s like to be an athlete would you say something so hurtful then? Makes no sense. The poor guy is gutted but he will be back a bit of PMA and he will be fine
poor fella had just lost the race of his life.. was unfair not to expect his despair.. he still qualified for the olympics injured so heal up decide then instead of hasty comments
Don’t give up yet at your first attempt if you can , not sure what age you are but you might like to take a break and try for the next games if possible . What ever you decide well done anyway !!
Connacht set to bring experienced Billy Millard into new role
44 mins ago
5
Freesquad update
Leinster hopeful Kelleher will be available for Quins clash, but Connors is ruled out
55 mins ago
1
SOFT FREES
'I thought today he got well looked after' - McStay questions David Clifford treatment by ref
21 hrs ago
20
Sign in or create a free account
To continue reading create a free account
Or sign into an existing account
Your Cookies. Your Choice.
Cookies help provide our news service while also enabling the advertising needed to fund this work.
We categorise cookies as Necessary, Performance (used to analyse the site performance) and Targeting (used to target advertising which helps us keep this service free).
We and our 161 partners store and access personal data, like browsing data or unique identifiers, on your device. Selecting Accept All enables tracking technologies to support the purposes shown under we and our partners process data to provide. If trackers are disabled, some content and ads you see may not be as relevant to you. You can resurface this menu to change your choices or withdraw consent at any time by clicking the Cookie Preferences link on the bottom of the webpage .Your choices will have effect within our Website. For more details, refer to our Privacy Policy.Privacy Policy
We and our vendors process data for the following purposes:
Use precise geolocation data. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Store and/or access information on a device. Personalised advertising and content, advertising and content measurement, audience research and services development.
Cookies Preference Centre
We process your data to deliver content or advertisements and measure the delivery of such content or advertisements to extract insights about our website. We share this information with our partners on the basis of consent. You may exercise your right to consent, based on a specific purpose below or at a partner level in the link under each purpose. Some vendors may process your data based on their legitimate interests, which does not require your consent. You cannot object to tracking technologies placed to ensure security, prevent fraud, fix errors, or deliver and present advertising and content, and precise geolocation data and active scanning of device characteristics for identification may be used to support this purpose. This exception does not apply to targeted advertising. These choices will be signaled to our vendors participating in the Transparency and Consent Framework.
Manage Consent Preferences
Necessary Cookies
Always Active
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then these services may not function properly.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we will not be able to monitor our performance.
Store and/or access information on a device 110 partners can use this purpose
Cookies, device or similar online identifiers (e.g. login-based identifiers, randomly assigned identifiers, network based identifiers) together with other information (e.g. browser type and information, language, screen size, supported technologies etc.) can be stored or read on your device to recognise it each time it connects to an app or to a website, for one or several of the purposes presented here.
Personalised advertising and content, advertising and content measurement, audience research and services development 143 partners can use this purpose
Use limited data to select advertising 113 partners can use this purpose
Advertising presented to you on this service can be based on limited data, such as the website or app you are using, your non-precise location, your device type or which content you are (or have been) interacting with (for example, to limit the number of times an ad is presented to you).
Create profiles for personalised advertising 83 partners can use this purpose
Information about your activity on this service (such as forms you submit, content you look at) can be stored and combined with other information about you (for example, information from your previous activity on this service and other websites or apps) or similar users. This is then used to build or improve a profile about you (that might include possible interests and personal aspects). Your profile can be used (also later) to present advertising that appears more relevant based on your possible interests by this and other entities.
Use profiles to select personalised advertising 83 partners can use this purpose
Advertising presented to you on this service can be based on your advertising profiles, which can reflect your activity on this service or other websites or apps (like the forms you submit, content you look at), possible interests and personal aspects.
Create profiles to personalise content 39 partners can use this purpose
Information about your activity on this service (for instance, forms you submit, non-advertising content you look at) can be stored and combined with other information about you (such as your previous activity on this service or other websites or apps) or similar users. This is then used to build or improve a profile about you (which might for example include possible interests and personal aspects). Your profile can be used (also later) to present content that appears more relevant based on your possible interests, such as by adapting the order in which content is shown to you, so that it is even easier for you to find content that matches your interests.
Use profiles to select personalised content 35 partners can use this purpose
Content presented to you on this service can be based on your content personalisation profiles, which can reflect your activity on this or other services (for instance, the forms you submit, content you look at), possible interests and personal aspects. This can for example be used to adapt the order in which content is shown to you, so that it is even easier for you to find (non-advertising) content that matches your interests.
Measure advertising performance 134 partners can use this purpose
Information regarding which advertising is presented to you and how you interact with it can be used to determine how well an advert has worked for you or other users and whether the goals of the advertising were reached. For instance, whether you saw an ad, whether you clicked on it, whether it led you to buy a product or visit a website, etc. This is very helpful to understand the relevance of advertising campaigns.
Measure content performance 61 partners can use this purpose
Information regarding which content is presented to you and how you interact with it can be used to determine whether the (non-advertising) content e.g. reached its intended audience and matched your interests. For instance, whether you read an article, watch a video, listen to a podcast or look at a product description, how long you spent on this service and the web pages you visit etc. This is very helpful to understand the relevance of (non-advertising) content that is shown to you.
Understand audiences through statistics or combinations of data from different sources 74 partners can use this purpose
Reports can be generated based on the combination of data sets (like user profiles, statistics, market research, analytics data) regarding your interactions and those of other users with advertising or (non-advertising) content to identify common characteristics (for instance, to determine which target audiences are more receptive to an ad campaign or to certain contents).
Develop and improve services 83 partners can use this purpose
Information about your activity on this service, such as your interaction with ads or content, can be very helpful to improve products and services and to build new products and services based on user interactions, the type of audience, etc. This specific purpose does not include the development or improvement of user profiles and identifiers.
Use limited data to select content 37 partners can use this purpose
Content presented to you on this service can be based on limited data, such as the website or app you are using, your non-precise location, your device type, or which content you are (or have been) interacting with (for example, to limit the number of times a video or an article is presented to you).
Use precise geolocation data 46 partners can use this special feature
With your acceptance, your precise location (within a radius of less than 500 metres) may be used in support of the purposes explained in this notice.
Actively scan device characteristics for identification 27 partners can use this special feature
With your acceptance, certain characteristics specific to your device might be requested and used to distinguish it from other devices (such as the installed fonts or plugins, the resolution of your screen) in support of the purposes explained in this notice.
Ensure security, prevent and detect fraud, and fix errors 92 partners can use this special purpose
Always Active
Your data can be used to monitor for and prevent unusual and possibly fraudulent activity (for example, regarding advertising, ad clicks by bots), and ensure systems and processes work properly and securely. It can also be used to correct any problems you, the publisher or the advertiser may encounter in the delivery of content and ads and in your interaction with them.
Deliver and present advertising and content 99 partners can use this special purpose
Always Active
Certain information (like an IP address or device capabilities) is used to ensure the technical compatibility of the content or advertising, and to facilitate the transmission of the content or ad to your device.
Match and combine data from other data sources 72 partners can use this feature
Always Active
Information about your activity on this service may be matched and combined with other information relating to you and originating from various sources (for instance your activity on a separate online service, your use of a loyalty card in-store, or your answers to a survey), in support of the purposes explained in this notice.
Link different devices 53 partners can use this feature
Always Active
In support of the purposes explained in this notice, your device might be considered as likely linked to other devices that belong to you or your household (for instance because you are logged in to the same service on both your phone and your computer, or because you may use the same Internet connection on both devices).
Identify devices based on information transmitted automatically 88 partners can use this feature
Always Active
Your device might be distinguished from other devices based on information it automatically sends when accessing the Internet (for instance, the IP address of your Internet connection or the type of browser you are using) in support of the purposes exposed in this notice.
Save and communicate privacy choices 69 partners can use this special purpose
Always Active
The choices you make regarding the purposes and entities listed in this notice are saved and made available to those entities in the form of digital signals (such as a string of characters). This is necessary in order to enable both this service and those entities to respect such choices.
Ciaran, we are still proud of you….no matter what!
I’m sure he’ll be successful in whatever he does and making it to the Olympics is a great achievement. But it’s also really nice to see an athlete have perspective that there is life after sport, as unfortunately, most sporting careers do have a short time frame.
When you stick a microphone up someone’s nose immediately after they fail to live up to their own expectations you can be sure that they’re demoralized. He is a great prospect for Rio and hopefully the press will go away and give him time to lick his wounds and come back revitalized.
When you stick a microphone up someone’s nose immediately after they fail to live up to their own expectations you can be sure that they’re demoralized. He is a great prospect for Rio and hopefully the press will go away and give him time to lick his wounds and come back revitalized.
Getting to the Olympics itself is amazing. Sometimes the performance just doesn’t happen on the day for whatever reason. Good luck in whatever you decide to do in the future.
That is a great idea Ciaran you just arent up to it.
why didn’t you run instead of him?
The record you have Leona is for reporting comments.
As a gold medal winning Olympian Leona, I would expect that you’d show sympathy and support for a fellow athlete as opposed to the attitude reflected in your comment
Funny that there is absolutely no record of a Leona smullen representing Ireland last year. Shame on you for trying to jump on the wonderful bandwagon of the special Olympics.
What sport Leona?
Les Rock
Yes I did represent Ireland you dont even know me
So, what event was it Leona?
so where’s your name on the timesheet or in the records.
Sez someone who lives in Avatarland…
What a horrible bitchy comment. You should be proud of yourself Leona
Leona is too busy sitting on her couch trolling to do anything so energetic.
did u try out? didnt think so. he wasnt up to it thats fair enough but no need to be a tool in an interview.
Obviously a hard working, great athlete but must question the IOC / Athletics Ireland sending him as by his own admission he’s been injured for a year with only one months training before London. I feel sorry for the uninjured, unknown Irish athlete that should have been there but didn’t get the opportunity.
Jaysus @emcg53 you’re only after doing your first 10k & you’re already pushing for an Olympic spot!!
Any Irish athlete that made the A standard went… With two exceptions. It is not like he ‘took’ somebodies spot. He made the standard, even if it was last year.
Get the ankle sorted an reassess things then. Don’t misplace your anger.
Was just on the Special Olympics website and there is no record of any Leona Smullen among the travelling athletes for Greece 2011. Either there’s a mistake on the website or you are a pretty warped individual? Which is it??
i did the same Ger. Shameful utterly shameful
Or shes not using her real name? Did you think of tat 1?
Wise up Derek
Not using her real name? If its not, it’s a very random name to come up with don’t ye think …Leona smullen
How dare any of you accuse me of making this up. I did represent my country at the Special Olympics. I won a medal in football. I’m not using my real name on here.
Thought in his interview that he came across as flippant and uncaring – a pity, as I would have felt that being chosen for ones Country was a huge honour?
Maybe with some personal reflection and much more maturity, he might come across better and then his performances might also improve too?
Leona the Irish women’s special Olympic football team were beaten in the final by Greece. Now quit digging a hole for yourself, you should be ashamed of yourself.
I thought it was a gold medal not just any medal.
Les Rock
you’re right I should be ashamed of myself for not using my real identity. I lied I didnt go to Greece last year. In 2003 when Ireland hosted it I was part of the team. I was a member of the football team. I stayed in Lucan for a week and then I stayed in NUI Maynooth campus for the duration of the games. The football games were out in UCD. And I did win medal.
Les Rock spot on chief
you are a liar leona!
Sluazcanal
if you and other people dont believe me thats not my problem.
There will be other opportunities don’t give up, champions are built from disappointment. Have a rest, review and start again…
Well done ciaran (and leona for giving me a laugh). You will be back..today isn’t the time to decide your future!
Leona you’re a liar, disgraceful really. Shame on you
Unlucky Ciaran. Leevale still proud of you and the country as well. Another Olympian from Leevale and Cork.
I know Leona well, she’s actually a sister of Johnny Knoxville and married one of the famous Smullens from Ring, Co. Waterford. I couldn’t vouch for them though but going by Johnny I’d say she’d have something to do with the special Olympics alright.
^^smell of bullshit^^
just hate to see someone jump on the bandwagon of the special olympics and doing a disservice to the great athletes that do represent Ireland in the special Olympics.
Leona, I’d advise you to speak with a mental health professional ASAP, genuinely worried for you
Why if you know what it’s like to be an athlete would you say something so hurtful then? Makes no sense. The poor guy is gutted but he will be back a bit of PMA and he will be fine
This is in response to a post just deleted. Boy do I look stupid!
If leona did take part in special olympics, than very well done leona,
poor fella had just lost the race of his life.. was unfair not to expect his despair.. he still qualified for the olympics injured so heal up decide then instead of hasty comments
Don’t give up yet at your first attempt if you can , not sure what age you are but you might like to take a break and try for the next games if possible . What ever you decide well done anyway !!
In the 2011 Special Olympics the MEN’s soccer 11 won a medal (silver I think). Something you want to tell us, Leona….hm…?
Que the eastenders dum dums!
Ger, your some man talking bout a woman like you just did, shows what kind of man you are you thick
And then, theres Steve Reich..