Forgotten man Naughton determined to make his mark

JOSEPH NAUGHTON could be regarded as one of the forgotten stars of Irish athletics, but all that could change before the end of the coming track season if plans materialise.

The decathlon is the most gruelling of all the athletic disciplines. Not just has an athlete to be outstanding at an event but he must be world-class at 10 if he is to make a mark for himself.

He has always been bordering on world-class throughout a career that has been punctuated by injury at critical stages.

Last year, he was poised for what promised to be a spectacular outdoor season after setting a new record for the heptathlon (seven events) in Estonia only to fall victim to a knee injury, which eventually required remedial surgery and all but wrecked his plans.

Now the 28-year-old Nenagh man has qualification for this year’s world championships in Paris within his grasp and he does not intend to let it slip.

And last week, he returned to Estonia to highlight this fact with a performance that was just 128 points short of the record he set last year and 58 points away from the old record which was set by Barry Walsh, and if he was to continue the average over three more events it would give him a score of 7,760, which would be just 90 points short of qualification for the world championships.

His performances in the seven events (2002 comparisons in brackets) were: 60m 7.44 secs (7.23); long jump 7.02m (7.02); shot putt 13.39m (13.90); high jump 1.95 (2.04); 60m hurdles 8.60 (8.43); pole vault 4. 45m (4.15); 1,000m 2:42.00 (2:42.85) for a total of 5,432 pts (5,560).

Now he has decided for the first time to become a full-time athlete in pursuit of his goal. Over the years he has built up a friendship with Olympic champion Erki Nool from Tallinn, and trains with him.

Unfortunately, under the grants scheme as it stands, he does not qualify for government aid, but he is determined to push ahead in what will be ferocious attempt to make it to a major championship.

He hails from a family steeped in athletics.

His father, Pat, was an outstanding sprinter and so, too, was his uncle, Sean, who is a legend in Irish athletics both as a coach to several champions and as the man who revolutionised the sport when he masterminded the Indoor Arena in Nenagh.

He is a former All-Ireland schools high jump champion; won the pole vault as a junior and is a former senior long jump champion.

As an outstanding all-rounder it was not surprising when he turned to the decathlon, and a few years ago he won the AAA indoor title but, unfortunately, successive injuries prevented him building on that performance, but now he faces the outdoor season injury-free.