IRELAND’S LATEST OLYMPIC success story Kieran Behan knows all too well the meaning of the word ‘setback’.
At the London Prepares test event yesterday, the 22-year-old gymnast who competes in the all-round event of floor, rings, pummel horse, vault, parallel bars and high bar, discovered that he had done enough to make the cut for July’s Games.
It is a staggering feat for the Surrey-based athlete as he will follow Barry McDonald’s wild card entry in Atlanta 1996 to become the second person to ever represent Ireland in gymnastics.
Speaking on Newstalk’s Off The Ball last night, Behan was clearly still in shock. “Everything’s still a bit surreal,” he said.
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“I was in my coach’s room and we got a phone call which explained I’d qualified so we were jumping around in tears.
It’s a dream come true after all the stuff that I’ve gone through and the perseverance I’ve had to show.”
In order to understand that inner strength he alludes to, it is essential to hear a bit about Behan’s background.
Since the age of 10, the London-born athlete has been plagued by what he plays down as “a bad run” of injuries, but in reality, were a series of incidents which make the fact that he is even walking today seem miraculous.
An operation to remove a benign tumour in his left thigh left him wheelchair-bound as a child after nerves in his leg were damaged during the procedure.
Freak accident
Despite recovering enough to return to the sport he loves, Behan suffered brain damage just two years later from a freak accident on the high bar.
“Whenever I moved my head I couldn’t tell whether I was going left or right or upside and I would keep blacking out,” said Behan.
Nine weeks in hospital saw no improvement in his state so his parents, who are from Dublin and Monaghan, decided to discharge him.
I ended up back in a wheelchair and had to learn everything from scratch again,” he added.
He then spent the best part of three years attempting to regain the quality of life he had known but struggled with simple tasks like sitting up in bed and keeping his balance.
After a massive amount of rehabilitation, a comeback in competitive gymnastics was halted by two ruptured cruciate ligaments but after what he’d already been through, that was never going to stop him.
2011 brought three World Cup medals and a title as the overall World Series Floor champion. And now he’s looking forward to the prospect of being the first Irish gymnast to compete at the Olympics in 16 years.
“We’ll go there and see what happens – It will be brilliant to go out and do Ireland proud.”
I agree Declan, as a Utd fan I’m ashamed to read that. Lifetime bans for toe rags like that! No club needs “supporters” of that kind!
I’m all for rivalry in football but there’s a line you don’t cross! Have some respect for the man, at the end of the day he’s still just a normal person with a family to go home to!
Red army Red army. Did you ever see the red army program they hand out. Last time I had a read of it was when Frank L mother passed away. The red army were abusein his celebration were he acknowledges his mother. Lovely fans.
I have no doubt there were idiots who would do such a thing, but don’t acting like 70,000 united fans were all at it!!! Chelsea have there idiots too, every club!!!
What about “that was all in the past” you had to say that about combat 18 didn’t you?? Stop being a hypocrite now.. In fact stop commenting on united posts anyway, you’re a typical ABU, know nothing of Manchester United, calling them frauds and what not, and then you go on about respect for mourinho and his team because of what he and they have won, united have won tonnes more, where’s your respect?? You are a very, very, sad man paul
Im sad . Emmmm ok. Should you not be supporting shamrock rovers or something. Ill support a football team in a different city and different country. Yes I am the sad one. Come on Kerry.
I support my local team, but what you don’t know is is that they are amateurs made up of the town folk, they are leagues below the league of Ireland!! And I’m from Kerry, so yeah ill shout for them all day
Up Kerry . Champions of Ireland . Im going to sit in boozer in London on Sunday in a Kerry jersey shouting at the t.v. Colm Cooper. Hes the messi of Gaa I believe.
Typical ABUs tarring all 74000 Utd fans at the game with the same brush. Every club has idiot knuckle draggers supporting them, it doesn’t mean every fan is an idiot knuckle dragger.
No but there were a couple of seasons where the wonderfully cultured supporters in Anfield took to defecating in a sandwich bag and dropping the contents on the united fans below, there are tossers following every club, bitch at them, not at the club or their support on mass.
Anfield Sunday? You should be ashamed to have the Dublin crest as your pic! Not that I’d be advocating supporting Dublin either….where’s your double now? Rebels here!
The only way Simply The Best is going to Anfield on Sunday is if he’s been saving his dole for the last few weeks!
Little waste of space troll is commenting on every story all morning trying to get at people!
I would say your mother must be proud of you, but the ironic thing is, with people like you, the fact that you can use a computer means she probably is!
@ The Score, is it possible to block accounts commenting on here? One person in particular is just trolling every United article that’s posted on here and it’s getting rather annoying…
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Obviously not acceptable. End of. United fan
I agree Declan, as a Utd fan I’m ashamed to read that. Lifetime bans for toe rags like that! No club needs “supporters” of that kind!
I’m all for rivalry in football but there’s a line you don’t cross! Have some respect for the man, at the end of the day he’s still just a normal person with a family to go home to!
Despicable behaviour but no real surprise either
I’d expect nothing more from a man united fan
I’m a Utd fan and I’d never ever imagine doing that! My parents brought me up with respect!
Nothing more than I would expect up in that filth hole. Man just doing his job.
Coming from a man whose clubs support has groups that affiliate with combat 18 that’s bordering on the ridiculous.
That was in the past. Watching to much football factory you are. Get a job
Got a job thank you very much and won’t watch films that glorify idiots and are full of talentless cockneys.
Oh and Chelsea fans are saints are they? Seriously, stop trolling at this stage, it’s pathetic, lie after lie after lie
Red army Red army. Did you ever see the red army program they hand out. Last time I had a read of it was when Frank L mother passed away. The red army were abusein his celebration were he acknowledges his mother. Lovely fans.
I have no doubt there were idiots who would do such a thing, but don’t acting like 70,000 united fans were all at it!!! Chelsea have there idiots too, every club!!!
Yes they do indeed leo. I was there during the 80s . Seen it. Filth is all them fans are.
What about “that was all in the past” you had to say that about combat 18 didn’t you?? Stop being a hypocrite now.. In fact stop commenting on united posts anyway, you’re a typical ABU, know nothing of Manchester United, calling them frauds and what not, and then you go on about respect for mourinho and his team because of what he and they have won, united have won tonnes more, where’s your respect?? You are a very, very, sad man paul
Im sad . Emmmm ok. Should you not be supporting shamrock rovers or something. Ill support a football team in a different city and different country. Yes I am the sad one. Come on Kerry.
I support my local team, but what you don’t know is is that they are amateurs made up of the town folk, they are leagues below the league of Ireland!! And I’m from Kerry, so yeah ill shout for them all day
Up Kerry . Champions of Ireland . Im going to sit in boozer in London on Sunday in a Kerry jersey shouting at the t.v. Colm Cooper. Hes the messi of Gaa I believe.
Typical ABUs tarring all 74000 Utd fans at the game with the same brush. Every club has idiot knuckle draggers supporting them, it doesn’t mean every fan is an idiot knuckle dragger.
Typical manure. Fergie the pri*k often went to man city/anfield/emirates and never had missiles thrown at him
Maybe he did and didn’t bitch and moan about it. It can’t have been serious, plastic cups no doubt.
Yeah because Liverpool fans always behaved in a exemplary fashion throughout their history, didnt they chris?
No but there were a couple of seasons where the wonderfully cultured supporters in Anfield took to defecating in a sandwich bag and dropping the contents on the united fans below, there are tossers following every club, bitch at them, not at the club or their support on mass.
At least no one died
I’m going to Anfield Sunday… If I get the chance I’ll be launching missiles at united players/fans
It’s football it happens
Anfield Sunday? You should be ashamed to have the Dublin crest as your pic! Not that I’d be advocating supporting Dublin either….where’s your double now? Rebels here!
The only way Simply The Best is going to Anfield on Sunday is if he’s been saving his dole for the last few weeks!
Little waste of space troll is commenting on every story all morning trying to get at people!
I would say your mother must be proud of you, but the ironic thing is, with people like you, the fact that you can use a computer means she probably is!
Simply the best was on another story earlier celebrating the serious injury of a Garda. He’s just a dirty little s(umb@g.
@ The Score, is it possible to block accounts commenting on here? One person in particular is just trolling every United article that’s posted on here and it’s getting rather annoying…
Selling drugs dosent count. Have a wash and get a job ya knack..