by Larry Eder
James McIlroy moves to final Photo courtesy of BBC.com, all rights reserved.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/athletics/photo_galleries/4141974.stm
Frank Shorter, the two time Olympic marathon medalist, once noted to John Parker, author of the seminal book, Once a Runner, that Shorter gave it his all in his career so he would have no “ifs”. ” If I had only done that, If I had only done this..” Those types of questions haunt great athletes, challenging them to greater things. With that in mind, I would like to ask our readers to remember James McIlroy.
James McIlroy, an Northern Irish 800 meter of much promise, retired in March 2008, citing, among many reasons, the inability to financially support himself while training without help from UK athletics. Two years later, McIlroy has decided to begin training once again, with an eye on representing the UK in the Commonwealth Games in 2011.
James competed in Sydney in 2000, making the final of the 800 meters. In 2005, after a tough 2004, James McIlroy ran 1:44.65, the fastest 800 meter time by an UK athlete in one decade!
Perhaps there is the need to answer the big “if”, perhaps it is the change of scenery (McIlroy is training at Harvard University during his studies there), but, whatever the reason, we wish James the best of luck. McIlroy is a talent, the key will be if his heart can match the talent he has shown, then, UK athletics could have a tough male 800 meter runner in their midst.
For more on this story, please read http://www.insidethegames.biz/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8786:mcilroy-to-make-return-two-years-after-retirement&catid=89:athletics-news&Itemid=119
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