Fionnuala McCormack not done yet after making Olympic history
Having made her debut on the track in Beijing, the Kilcoole AC veteran had top 25s in the marathon in Rio and Tokyo and was frustrated not to quite equal those finishes in Paris, where she made history nonethless
Making history wasn't enough for Fionnuala McCormack in Paris and so she intends to run on.
The 39-year-old became the first Irish woman to compete in five Olympic Games and finished in a hugely creditable 28th place in a time of 2:30.12 in what were very hot conditions, and on a punishing, uphill course.
But McCormack, who had her third child six months ago, was looking for more. “It wasn’t what I came here for, it was not what I envisaged at all," the three-time European Cross country champion admitted.
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"I feel like I never gave up but it wasn’t what I was hoping for. I would’ve preferred to have been more in the race rather than just surviving it. I would’ve liked to have been top 20. I was 20th in my first one in Rio. I’m not going to stop running, I don’t think I’ll ever do that.
"Obviously, I’ll have to think about what I do next, but I don’t think I’d want to end on that, I’m not happy with it so I’d prefer to end on a positive,” she said.
Never one for the spotlight, McCormack shrugged off her history-making feat after the race was won by Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands in a new Olympic Record time of 2:22:55 on the back of two bronze medals on the track already at these Games in the 5000m and 10,000m.
“People mention that a lot, but I don’t want to be just a participant in five Olympics, I want to be a performer, and I don’t think I did that today," said McCormack. "That’s disappointing. I know it’s not easy to go to five Olympics and be fit. It’s great to be able to do.
“Out there on the course it was unbelievable, the amount of people out there cheering for me, from Wicklow. The amount of people that knew my name, I know they’re Irish people out there because so many people can’t pronounce my name.
"So when I hear 'Fionnuala' I know – I’m the only Fionnuala in the race so it is great to hear, even when you’re struggling you almost like up your game a bit because the support was unbelievable out there.”
Coached by her husband Alan, the Wicklow athlete was looking forward to going home to her three girls Isla, Isabelle and Naomi. “They were decisions and choices that I made, and I was very lucky to make," she said. "It’s great to have the three girls to go back to now.
"They don’t care how I performed. They got to come away on a training camp for the summer with us and they loved it. All those things are special and I’m so glad that I can do this and have them because it wouldn’t be the same if I didn’t. I’d be missing something special. I know how lucky I am."
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