Irish Olympian Ciarán Ó Lionáird has died in Montreal, aged 38.
The Cork athlete represented Ireland in the 1500m at the 2012 London Olympics and won a bronze medal in the 3000m at the 2013 European Indoors.
In his major championship debut at the 2011 World Championship in Daegu, Ó Lionáird qualified for the 1500m final, finishing 10th before competing at his first Games the following year.
Injury prevented the Cork man making an impact in London and he finished 13th in his heats, but a year later he was on the podium at the European Indoors in Sweden.
He missed the rest of the 2013 season with injury but returned in 2014 to win the Irish 1500m national title before reaching the European Championship final in Zurich.
However, persistent injury issues led Ó Lionáird to retire from competing before the Rio Olympics, at the age of 28.
Four years later, he made a comeback attempt with an eye on the Covid-delayed Tokyo Olympics, but illness denied him that opportunity and he retired again in 2020.
In a statement, his club Leevale paid tribute to Ó Lionáird: “Ciarán was an exceptional athlete who represented his club, county and country with distinction, but he was equally valued as a wonderful clubman, team-mate and friend.
“His achievements on the track inspired many, while his humility, warmth and generosity left a lasting impression on all who knew him.”
