Two years ago, he struggled to walk. Corkman now ready to take on best in US

“January 2022 till February 2023, I hadn't properly walked during that whole time."

Diarmuid O'Connor during the 2021 European U20 Athletics Championship (left) and competing for the University of Connecticut during the 2024 Big East Track and Field Championships (right). Pictures: Sportsfile / Diarmuid O'Connor/Instagram

After the European U20 Championships in Tallinn three years ago, doors opened for Diarmuid O’Connor. He’d finished fourth in the decathlon, setting a new Irish U20 record. At just 19, he was already the third best Irish decathlete of all-time. His 7604 point total ranked behind Barry Walsh’s 7775 performance from 1992 and Carlos O’Connell’s 1988 national record of 7882.

It was an exciting moment for Irish athletics. We don’t produce many international class multi-discipline athletes, and here was one ready to take on the world. 100m, long jump, shot put, high jump, 400m, 110m hurdles, discus, pole vault, javelin, 1500m. O’Connor was good at all of them.