'These things mean more to you as you get older'

When Colm Cronin hopped, skipped and jumped 15.89 meters on June 26th 1977, little did the Leevale man realise his Irish triple jump record would remain peerless some 40 years later.

In the intervening years, sport has been radically transformed by an explosion in scientific and technological advances.

Nutrition, training methods, psychology and medicine have revolutionised athletic performances, so it seems remarkable such a record could withstand four decades of advance.