Cian McPhillips steps into the World Championship final on a Tokyo night, the first Irishman to take this step.
Since 1983 and the first World Championships Ireland have collected four gold and two silver medals. A small return from the championships 20 editions. However, records is something the Longford man seems to like to break.
Two gold and one silver have arrived on the track with the remaining 50% of medals arriving in the race walk events.
McPhillips himself is just the 17th Irish man to enter a World Championship final. 13 of those have been on the track.
The Longford man becomes Ireland’s first 800 metre finalist. While David Gillick (2009) in the 400 metres, all Ireland other male finalists have been in the 1500m, 5000m and 10,000m.
Those finalist been, Niall Bruton (1995), Ciaran O’Lionard (2011) and Andrew Coscoran (2025) in the 1500 metres.
The 5000 metres saw Eamon Coughlan (1983), Frank O’Mara, John Tracey (both 87), Mark Carroll (95 & 99) and Alistar Cragg (2011). While in the days of a 10,000 semi-final has John Tracey (87) and Cathal Lombard (2003). Lombard failed a drugs test for EPO in 2004.
Whereas, the women have settled in a similar fashion. 16 World finalists, 13 of those finalists coming on track. In fact one of those was this year with Sarah Healy in the 1500m.
The mixed 4x400m relay team registered final appearances in 2022 and 2023 bringing Ireland and maybe the new Ireland era up a touch.
You see Ireland’s first 800m runner is in my opinion, part of the reason for the surge in Irish championship running.
McPhillips senior international debut came in the covid-19 impacted European indoors of 2021. McPhillips showed an attitude of not settling for second place! The Longford man wanted success and made a serious dent in that first championship.
It was an attitude that rubbed off in the Irish dressing room. It was no longer about being there, but mixing with the best, pushed through the team’s youngest member.
There was no medals in Torun, but not many cracks either.
McPhillips own break through arrived in the specially organised “indoor Micro Elite” competition organised with covid-19 restrictions two weeks before that European championship.
McPhillips finished second in a dip on the line with Mark English who broke his own Irish record that night! English declared McPhillips the “future of the Irish athletics”. Particularly as McPhillips had also broken the then record.
More records have since been broken by Longford’s finest. The future of Irish athletics is very much here!
