Speedster Marcus Lawler chasing Olympic dream

Despite a slow start to the year, Ireland’s fastest man is hoping to move through the gears as he chases Olympic qualification over 200 metres.

Carlow’s Marcus Lawler may have started his season in disappointing fashion — running 50.03 to finish a fading third in the 400m at the national U23 championships last weekend — but the 20-year-old is hoping to return to winning ways in the weeks ahead.

Speaking at yesterday’s launch of the GloHealth National Senior Indoor Championships, which take place from February 27 to 28, Lawler was optimistic about his chances of Olympic qualification this summer.

“The season started off badly enough, but training is good and we’ve upped the load this year,” he said.

“It’s just about keeping the focus and keeping the goals in sight, trying to improve on the times year on year.”

Having won the sprint double at last year’s national championships — and with personal bests of 10.38 for 100m and 20.74 for 200m — Lawler is Ireland’s leading sprint prospect for 2016, though he will need to run 10.16 or 20.50 to book his spot at the Olympics.

Under the guidance of his mother Patricia, who coaches him, Lawler trains six days a week at his base in Carlow, hoping the hard graft in the gym and on the track will soon reap rewards.

Another major goal in 2016 will be the European Championships in early July and, having made the 200m final in both the junior and U23 editions, Lawler is hoping to now make the cut at the highest grade.

“The transition to senior is hard enough but I’m managing okay,” he says.

“Outdoors, the big goal is the Europeans, but I’ll also try to get the standard for Rio.”

After a year in which athletics endured several doping scandals and evidence of corruption at the top level of the IAAF came to light, Lawler has tried to keep his focus on the task at hand in what will be the pivotal season of his career to date.

“It’s hard to listen to,” he said.

“The sport is getting a lot of negative coverage, but I try not to focus on it.

“I just keep doing what I can do and my Mam keeps doing what she does to make me as good as I can be.

“I love running, and that’s why I’m doing it, to become the best that I can be.”