| Ciarán Ó Lionáird | |
| Nationality: | Irish |
| Sport: | Track and field |
| Event: | Middle-distance running |
| Pb: | 1500 m: 3:34.46 1 Mile: 3:52.10 3000 m: 7:50.40 5000 m: 13:33 |
| Height: | 6feet |
| Club: | Nike Oregon Track Club Elite |
| Collegeteam: | Michigan Wolverines '09, Florida State Seminoles '11 |
| Birth Date: | 11 April 1988 |
| Turnedpro: | 2011 |
| Birth Place: | Cork, Ireland |
| Residence: | Eugene, Oregon |
Ciarán Ó Lionáird (born 11 April 1988) is an Irish runner from Cork.[1] He competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in the 1500 metres.[2] At the 2013 European Athletics Indoor Championships in March, he came 3rd in the Men's 3000 metres.[3] [4] Following the COVID-19 lockdown, he announced he was coming out of retirement, and his intention to compete in the Tokyo Olympics.[5]
Ciaran grew up just outside Macroom, County Cork, Ireland. He attended De La Salle College, Macroom, where he was an Irish Schools 1500 metre champion.[6] Ciaran first took up running at age 7 with West Muskerry AC,[7] but at age 12 joined Leevale to become coached by Der O'Donovan. It was at Leevale that Ciaran improved his times and ran an Irish Youths indoor record of 3:50 at age 16.[8] He went on to win a bronze medal at the European Youth Olympic Festival in Lignano in 2005 as well as taking 10th place in the World Youth Championships, both over the metric mile.[9]
In 2006, having finished school, Ciaran decided to take up a scholarship at the University of Michigan under Coach Ron Warhurst where he earned Academic All-Big Ten Conference three years in 2006, 2007 and 2008.[10] After numerous season-ending injuries (osteitis pubis, L5 disc herniation, hip bursitis) he decided to transfer to Florida State University in 2009. A recurrence of Ciaran’s back disc injury in 2010 led to 6 months on the sidelines and with surgery imminent, he thought his running career might well be over.[11] However, he battled through a summer of intense therapy and came back in the Autumn of 2010 to become All American at the NCAA Men's Division I Cross Country Championship.[12]
At the 2011 IAAF World Championships in Daegu, Ciaran qualified through a tactical first round[13] - tactical meaning slower than qualifying time of 3:36 pace for early part of the race where strategy of moving faster in latter parts of the race can be used to improve finish order. Ciaran ran 3:36 in the semi-final to qualify for the IAAF World championship final in his first Major Championship appearance.[14] In the final of 2011 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 1500 metres, he placed 10th.[15] Ciaran O'Lionaird of Ireland ran 3:50.12 at 2012 IAAF World Indoor Championships – Men's 1500 metres and placed 22nd. The 2011 World Championship provided him with valuable experience ahead of the London Olympics in 2012.[16] Ciaran did not advance to semi-final at Athletics at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Men's 1500 metres.[17] Ciarán O'Lionáird of Ireland ran 7:50.40 at 2013 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Men's 3000 metres earned a bronze medal. Ciarán Ó Lionáird ran 3:39.79 at 2014 European Athletics Championships – Men's 1500 metres to advance to the final.