There was no shame in defeat for Thomas Barr, the Irishman who finished a gallant fourth in the 400m hurdles final won by Kerron Clement of the USA. Barr chiselled the best part of half a second off the personal best and national record he set in qualifying, but came up just short of a podium finish in a race reduced to only seven competitors after Javier Culson from Puerto Rico was disqualified for a false start.
“I would be lying if I said I was complaining but I was so close – 0.5 of a second and I think I could have found it,” said Barr. “Fourth is the worst place as you are so close.” He was certainly closer than Culson, whose race ended in heartbreak before it began. The twitchy London 2012 bronze medallist was in no doubt it was he who had jumped the gun and hunkered down trackside, sobbing uncontrollably before being led down the tunnel. It was a sorry sight, but meant one less rival to worry about for the 24-year-old Barr, who subsequently ran with a vacant lane three on his immediate inside.
A native of Waterford and the first Irishman to qualify for the Olympic 400m final – or any other sprint final – since 1932, he was not even sure he would line up at Rio a month ago, having endured a miserable season in which he was sidelined for nearly three months between March and the middle of June with a recurring hip injury. Left with only five weeks to get his body in shape and his stride patterns and rhythm in order, his performance as third-fastest runner in qualifying caused a shock in Ireland.
“I had no chance on paper after all my injuries,” he said. “Maybe I should miss three months of training every year. It’s gone crazy back home with big screens, so hello if you are watching.”
There have been few Irish highlights during a Games in which the president of the country’s Olympic Council has been arrested and one of the country’s boxers was sent home for failing a drug test. Two silver medals won on water have helped ease the pain, while the sight of a hard-done-by Michael Conlan hoisting his middle finger in the direction of a panel of ringside judges has elevated the boxer to national treasure status.
Barr’s efforts in this final were equally commendable, even if his home-straight kick was not strong enough to see him past Turkey’s Yasmani Copello, who finished third behind Clement and the fast-finishing Kenyan Boniface Tumuti.
Clement appeared in the video for Beyonce’s Run The World (Girls), in which he says his role was to “just stand there and be pretty”.
He did not loiter here, and won in a time of 47.73sec despite the best attempts of Tumuti to overtake him in the closing stages.
