Thomas Barr (born 24 July 1992) is an Irish track and field athlete who competes in the sprints and hurdles. He is probably best known for being a member of the winning European Championship Mixed 4x400 Relay team.[1]
 Thomas Barr at 2022 European Championships | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Irish |
| Born | 24 July 1992 Waterford, Ireland |
| Education | Sports Performance MSc |
| Alma mater | University of Limerick |
| Years active | 2011– |
| Agent | David Scott (Stellar Athletics) |
| Height | 183 cm (6 ft 0 in) |
| Weight | 69 kg (152 lb) |
| Sport | |
| Country |  Ireland |
| Sport | Track and field |
| Event | 400 metres hurdles |
| University team | University of Limerick |
| Club | Ferrybank AC |
| Coached by | Hayley & Drew Harrison |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Personal best(s) | 400 m hurdles: 47.97 s 400 m (indoor): 46.97 s |
Medal record | |
International career
editIn 2014, Barr was a semi-finalist at the 2014 European Athletics Championships in the 400 meter hurdles.[2] In 2015, he finished 3rd at the Qatar Athletic Super Grand Prix as part of the 2015 IAAF Diamond League.[3]
Barr won gold in the 400 metres hurdles at the 2015 World University Games (Summer Universiade) in Gwangju, South Korea with a time of 48.78 seconds.
On 15 August at the 2016 Summer Olympics, Barr finished second in his heat of the 400m hurdles in a season best time of 48.93.[4] The following day he broke the Irish record and won his semi-final to qualify for the final in a time of 48.39.[5] He finished fourth in the final, again breaking the Irish record with a time of 47.97.[6][7]
In August 2017, Barr was forced to withdraw from the 400m hurdles semi-final heats at the 2017 World Championships in Athletics after a bout of gastroenteritis.[8]
On 9 August 2018, Barr won bronze in the 400m hurdles at the 2018 European Athletics Championships with a season best time of 48.31, his second fastest time ever.[9][10][11]
In June 2024, Barr won gold at the European Championships, running the third leg of the 4x400 mixed relay, passing the baton on to Sharlene Mawdsley in second place with a 44.90 split.[1] Mawdsley ran down the leading Belgian Helena Ponette in the home strait, crossing the line in the gold medal position in an Irish record time of 3:09.92.[1] Barr had been passed the baton by Rhasidat Adeleke in 1st place.[1] Christopher O'Donnell ran the opening leg for Ireland.
Achievements
editInternational championships
edit| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Representing Ireland
| |||||
| 2011 | European Junior Championships | Tallinn, Estonia | 8th | 400 m hurdles | 51.02 |
| 2012 | European Championships | Helsinki, Finland | 5th (sf) | 400 m hurdles | 50.22 |
| 2013 | European U23 Championships | Tampere, Finland | 8th | 400 m hurdles | 50.14 |
| 2014 | European Championships | Zürich, Switzerland | 3rd (sf) | 400 m hurdles | 49.30 |
| 4th | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:01.67 | |||
| 2015 | World Relays | Nassau, Bahamas | 6th (h) | 4 x 400 m relay | 3:07.11 |
| Summer Universiade | Gwangju, South Korea | 1st | 400 m hurdles | 48.78 | |
| World Championships | Beijing, China | 11th (sf) | 400 m hurdles | 48.71 | |
| 13th (h) | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:01.26 | |||
| 2016 | European Championships | Amsterdam, Netherlands | 5th (sf) | 400 m hurdles | 50.09 |
| 5th | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:04.32 | |||
| Olympic Games | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 4th | 400 m hurdles | 47.97 NR | |
| 2017 | World Championships | London, United Kingdom | 18th (h)1 | 400 m hurdles | 49.79 |
| 2018 | European Championships | Berlin, Germany | 3rd | 400 m hurdles | 48.31 |
| 5th (h) | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:06.55 | |||
| 2019 | European Indoor Championships | Glasgow, United Kingdom | 4th (h) | 400 m sh | 48.22 |
| World Championships | Doha, Qatar | 11th (sf) | 400 m hurdles | 49.02 | |
| 2021 | World Relays | Chorzów, Poland | 4th (h)2 | 4 x 400 m relay mixed | 3:16.84 NR |
| Olympic Games | Tokyo, Japan | 9th (sf) | 400 m hurdles | 48.26 | |
| 2022 | World Championships | Eugene, United States | 19th (sf) | 400 m hurdles | 50.08 |
| European Championships | Munich, Germany | 4th (h) | 400 m hurdles | 49.30 | |
| 2024 | World Relays | Nassau, Bahamas | 3rd | 4 x 400 m relay mixed | 3:11.53 NR |
| European Championships | Rome, Italy | 1st | 4 x 400 m relay mixed | 3:09.92 CR, NR | |
| 16th (sf) | 400 m hurdles | 49.61 | |||
| Olympic Games | Paris, France | 10th (h) | 4 x 400 m relay mixed | 3:12.67 | |
1 Result from the heats, Barr did not start in the semi-finals.
2 Result from the heats, Barr did not start in the final.
Awards
editIn April 2015, Barr was named the European Athlete of the Month for, in part, being part of a national relay record and having a world-best time in the 400 metre hurdles.[12]
Barr was named as the 2016 Athlete of the Year at the National Athletics Awards on 30 November 2016.[13]
Records
editBarr holds the Irish national record in the 400 metre hurdles.[14] In 2014 he was also part of the relay team that set the Irish national record in the 4 × 400 metres relay.[15]
Personal life
editBarr is the younger brother of Irish Olympic track athlete Jessie Barr. He is from Dunmore East in Waterford where he attended Killea boys primary school and De la Salle school, Waterford.
References
edit- ^ a b c d "Ireland win gold in 4x400m mixed relay at European Athletics Championships". The Irish Times. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
- ^ "Thomas Barr just misses out on final spot in Zurich". Irishtimes.com. 13 August 2014. Retrieved 20 November 2015.
- ^ Friday, May 15, 2015 - 08:46 pm (15 May 2015). "WATCH: Thomas Barr finishes third on Diamond League debut". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 20 November 2015.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "Barr aims for final after bridging 84-year gap". Irish Independent. 16 August 2016. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
- ^ "Thomas Barr takes first place in his 400m hurdles semi-final and breaks Irish record". Irish Examiner. 17 August 2016. Retrieved 17 August 2016.
- ^ "Agony for Barr with fourth-placed finish in Rio". RTÉ.ie. 18 August 2016. Retrieved 18 August 2016.
- ^ "Thomas Barr: The happiest Olympian who has ever had his heart broken". Irish Independent. 19 August 2016. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
- ^ "Barr 'gutted' as illness brings Worlds bid to premature end". Irish Independent. 8 August 2017. Retrieved 9 August 2017.
- ^ "Brilliant Barr makes history as he wins European Championship bronze". The 42. 10 August 2018. Retrieved 10 August 2018.
- ^ "Bronze for brilliant Barr". Irish Independent. 10 August 2018. Retrieved 10 August 2018.
- ^ "'It's a relief for it to finally happen because I've been promising it for so long'". The 42. 11 September 2018. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
- ^ "Stefanidi & Barr voted Euro Athletes of the Month". European Athletics. 4 May 2015. Retrieved 20 November 2015.
- ^ O'Riordan, Ian (30 November 2016). "Thomas Barr is the Irish athlete of the year for 2016". Irish Times. Retrieved 30 November 2016 – via Irishtimes.ie.
- ^ "Barr Moves to Number One in European Rankings when Setting New Irish 400m Hurdles | Athletics Ireland". Athleticsireland.ie. 14 June 2014. Retrieved 20 November 2015.
- ^ Cliona Foley Twitter Email (18 August 2014). "Relay team smash 4x400 record as English lends a hand". Independent.ie. Retrieved 20 November 2015.
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