100m and 200m Irish Record Holder Biography
Paul is a native of Athenry, Co. Galway. At a young age he became interested in athletics and has been involved in the sport ever since. Paul won his first All-Ireland title at the age of 15, but it was not until he went to NUI, Galway to study Medicine that he really realized he had a big future in the sport.
Biography
Paul is a native of Athenry, Co. Galway. At a young age he became interested in athletics and has been involved in the sport ever since. Paul won his first All-Ireland title at the age of 15, but it was not until he went to NUI, Galway to study Medicine that he really realized he had a big future in the sport.
In 2002, Paul qualified for the World Junior Championships and this was a real catalyst for things to come. He used these championships to qualify for his first senior championship – the Europeans in 2002 – at the age of 19. In 2003, he came a creditable 5th at the European Under 23 Championships, while still having 2 more years in the age group. This was followed with a silver medal at the World University Games in Korea.
After the success of 2003 it was clear that Paul had the potential to reach the 2004 Olympic Games. As a result he took a year out of his medical studies in order to train full-time towards this goal. Alas, he missed qualification by 0.02secs, but had the consolation of gaining a new personal best of 20.61.
The 2005 indoor season was a success with Paul coming out as European Number 3 in the rankings. However, Paul felt he needed a fresh start and so moved to a new coach in Scotland, Stuart Hogg. However, the 2005 outdoor season was a difficult one, as Paul developed a few injuries prior to the World Championships in Helsinki. He still managed to pick up another medal from the World University Games.
Paul had some injuries in 2006 also which prevented him from showing his true potential at the European Championships in Gothenburg. However, at the tail end of the season he ran his first A-Standard (20.56). This gave him the encouragement he needed to again concentrate on his athletics full-time.
2007 was Paul’s breakthrough season. During June and July he set multiple Irish records in the 100m and 200m, records that still stand to this day. The World Championships also placed Paul firmly with the best, and he finished a solid 12th.
2008 was probably an even better season for Paul. The highlight was undoubtedly the Olympic Games, where Paul memorably won his quarter-final race before coming agonizingly close to making the Final, missing out by a place and finishing 10th overall.
At the 2009 World Championships in Berlin, Paul once again showed his consistency and again finished 10th at a global event. The fact that it was a bitter disappointment showed how far Paul had come since his early years.
Paul had targeted a medal at the 2010 European Championships. In the previous 3 seasons he was rarely beaten by a European athlete and had consistency on his side. Ultimately he was disappointed with a 6th place finish and slow times. 2011 presents new challenges as Paul targets his 4th World Championships.
