Kieran Behan eyes redemption at Rio Olympics
His journey from the childhood injuries that put him in a wheelchair to becoming an Olympic gymnast was one of the most inspiring stories of London 2012.
However, the 26-year-old wants to be more than just an inspiration this time, he wants to qualify again and nail his performances if he makes it to Rio.
“Getting to London was a massive long-shot and a huge learning curve,” said Behan yesterday.
“I didn’t know what to expect and I got myself as ready as I could at that point, but I was injured beforehand. Now, I feel I have unfinished business. Qualifying for Rio would be like a redemption.”
Behan’s all-around performance at last year’s World Championship was good enough to earn him a place in the final qualifying event next month.
That takes place in Rio, where he will be joined by Ellis O’Reilly, making it the first time Ireland will have a female gymnast chasing Olympic qualification.
The London schoolgirl, whose paternal grandparents hail from Armagh, turned 18 last month.
She has surpassed her expectations by earning herself a shot at the pinnacle of sport while still studying for her A-levels.
O’Reilly said: “I knew it was possible to qualify, but I didn’t really believe in myself fully. I thought if I could hit good scores at the World Championships that there would be a good possibility, but I just had to concentrate on my performances.”
Next month’s ‘test event’ in Brazil is the same qualification route Behan took in 2012 and to make it to Rio next summer they both need to finish in the top 24.
Behan was only the second Irish gymnast to compete at an Olympics in 2012 and the first to do so through competition, as his predecessor — Barry McDonald — received a wild card in 1996 from the International Olympic Committee.
The pair will travel to Rio on April 10 and have a week’s training in the Olympic venue before their competitions on April 16-17.
