Kieran Shannon: Treasure Rory McIlroy, he’s a true sporting great

McIlroy is becoming the face and voice of a major sport and becoming all the more comfortable with that elevation and level of recognition and responsibility

Tue, 30 Aug, 2022 - 08:00

Kieran Shannon

Although the place is freshest in our collective memory for the uplifting feats of our athletes there the other week and now the 50th anniversary of the darkest hour in Olympic history, a certain other athletics meet in Munich came to mind in recent days.

Twenty years ago the city’s Olympic Stadium also staged the European championships. Sonia O’Sullivan entered those championships as its reigning 5km and 10km champion as well as a silver Olympic medallist in the former event, but by now was 32 and only months back after a considerable layoff, having given birth to a second child.