Ten years ago today, on July 10th 2015, Thomas Barr delivered one of Irish athletics’ rare golden moments on the international stage, and no, we’re not talking about a medal for “trying your best” or “great exposure.” We’re talking an actual gold medal. The real deal.
The Waterford hurdler stormed to victory in the 400m hurdles at the World University Games in Gwangju, South Korea, clocking 48.78 seconds to see off Algeria’s Abdelmalik Lahoulou. It was one of the fastest times of his career at the time and enough to put him comfortably clear after the final hurdle. Russia’s Ivan Shablyuev trailed in for bronze, but the spotlight was firmly on Barr.
It wasn’t just a personal milestone. With that win, Barr joined an exclusive club of Irish athletes to top the podium at the Universiade, alongside Sonia O’Sullivan, Ronnie Delany, and Niall Bruton. Not exactly a bad dinner table to be sitting at.
At the time, Barr was 22 and on the rise. He’d already set a national record the month before in Rome (48.65), and the win in Korea only added momentum to what would become a hugely admired career. A year later he’d finish an agonising fourth at the Rio Olympics, a result that somehow made Irish fans love him even more. The near-miss, the honesty, the grit, Barr wasn’t just fast, he was sound.
Now retired, Barr leaves behind a legacy that blends elite performance with genuine likability. He was the sort of athlete who made you proud to care about athletics, even if you didn’t know your Diamond Leagues from your Parkruns.
Watch the race back below, Barr in lane four, calm as you like, and then gliding over the final hurdle with just enough left in the tank to pull away. A class act. (And the quality is not exactly HD, being a decade old and all that)