Kieran Behan raising the bar for gymnastics in Ireland

It is four years since Kieran Behan expressed the hope that his historic appearance at the Olympic Games in his hometown of London would act as a springboard for the sport of gymnastics in Ireland. Signs are that it has certainly helped.

Behan was the first Irish gymnast to qualify for a Games, and only the second to compete, when he appeared in 2012.

He returns to the Olympic arena today having been joined in Rio de Janeiro by Ellis O’Reilly, Ireland’s first ever Olympic female participant in the sport.