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Irish 2.30 High Jumper turned Arm Wrestler

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    #2
    Lougheee
    Registered Users Posts: 35 ✭Lougheee


    I remember having great hopes for him at the time and being so disappointed when he 'no-heighted' in Athens. At least he found something to excel in and he enjoys, isn't that the same reason we all compete? Athletics or arm-wrestling what's the difference.

    His comments on anorexia remind me of what the Swedish high jumper Linus Thörnblad had to say in the 'Price of Gold' documentary...

    "About 80kg is my normal weight. But I would drop to 76 or 77 when it was time for a big meet. I had no fat, so that would mean burning muscle. I'd be so hungry! A small cup of oatmeal for breakfast. Two boiled eggs and a sandwich after two hours of training. And dinner was some tuna and rice. You lived like that for two or three months of the year. You abused your body but I had tried jumping at 79kg, and I couldn't clear higher than 2.30m, while if I dropped two kilos, I could. I've been practically undernourished most of the time. To me, that's what elite sport is about. Being in the top 5. It would have been healthier to weigh a kilo or two more, but then I'd drop down into the top 20."

    That's an extreme example but the documentary was a real eye-opener for me regarding high performance track and field.


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    #3
    RayCun
    Registered Users Posts: 15,704 ✭✭✭✭RayCun


    That is a great documentary


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    #4
    Djoucer
    Closed Accounts Posts: 620 ✭✭✭Djoucer


    Great read.


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    #5
    Myles Splitz
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,306 ✭✭✭Myles Splitz


    KielyUnusual wrote: »
    http://buzz.ie/long-read-from-shattered-dreams-at-the-athens-olympics-to-battling-anorexia-to-competitive-arm-wrestling/

    What a story! 2.30 high jumper at age 20.

    Really shows the level high jumpers have to go to in order to be competitive at the very top. Tough, tough sport

    Funny enough Remember when he came back a couple of years after Athens to do the National leagues (won the Weight for distance by an absolute landslide) and remember thinking how quick he had put on so much bulk compared to his high jump days but reading that makes sense.

    Just goes to show you how much athletes push there bodies to compete (and rarely in a positive way)


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