Thomas Barr parks frustration to keep focus on Tokyo Olympics

Thomas Barr: ‘We’re all trying to work towards different goals and there hasn’t really been a clear pathway.’ Picture: Sam Barnes/Sportsfile

As the wheels of high-level sport continue to turn in GAA, soccer, and rugby, competitive opportunities for Ireland’s elite athletes remain non-existent, much to the frustration of many in the sport.

For Thomas Barr, the lack of races on the horizon is not an issue right now, given the Olympic 400m hurdles finalist is still deep in winter training, but he typically takes in indoor events in January in February to sharpen his speed for the summer.

The chances of such events going ahead in 2021 — at least in Ireland — looks increasingly remote.

“I can sense the frustration (among athletes),” he says. “We’re all trying to work towards different goals and obviously competition season is the big thing, whether it’s indoors or outdoors, and there hasn’t really been a clear pathway. If it does open up that we can race indoors, I’d like to do one or two to get an idea where I’m at and remind the body what it’s like to race.

“With the vaccine being rolled out, I think it’s only a matter of time before things do start to normalise again. At the moment I’m trying to concentrate on my training and not think too far ahead into the competition season.”

Barr skipped the majority of the outdoor track season and returned to racing in September, clocking 50 seconds for 400m hurdles three times in the space of five days. In recent months he’s been training at his usual base in UL and lockdown 2.0 didn’t hit nearly as hard as the first one.

“I did have access to the UL gym so I was able to train this time around much more effectively because we had facilities open. I got a really good winter in.”

With various vaccines set to be approved and distributed around the world in the coming months, it seems the Tokyo Games are now certain to go ahead, and if restrictions allow Barr is hopeful of starting the Olympic year with a training camp in Tenerife.

“The biggest news is that we have a vaccine that is being rolled out and that it is the beginning of the end, really, which is fantastic. It’s the start of things going back to normal.

“Whether things fall into place or not is not really my place (to predict) so I’m rolling with the punches and getting my training done with the focus on 2021 and Tokyo. Whatever happens in between that is not really up to me, but I’m training as if I’m going to have a full outdoor season.”

A native of Dunmore East in Waterford, Barr has spent the past 10 years living in Limerick, though on the week of an All-Ireland hurling final, there’s no disputing where the 28-year-old’s allegiance lies. “Waterford to the core,” says Barr, who last year bought a house in Castleconnell. “My neighbour has all the Limerick flags up so I’m trying to keep a low profile.”

• Thomas Barr was speaking at the launch of the Irish Life Health ‘Runuary’ programme, supporting runners of all levels to stay on track and to run January and not let it run them. Developed in partnership with Athletics Ireland, runners can sign-up free of charge to the training programme at irishlifehealth.ie.