He’s used to this. He knows the drill: settle into the blocks, await the starter’s orders, and once that gun fires, it’s time to unleash hell.
Chris O’Donnell knows 45 seconds, and one swift lap of the track, is all that’s between him and his second Olympic Games. But ahead of this weekend’s 123.ie National Championships in Santry, the stakes couldn’t be higher.
The 26-year-old Sligo sprinter is too far down the world rankings to qualify for Paris that way, so his sole shot as an individual is to hit the automatic 400m standard of 45.00 – which would require him to take a big chunk off his personal best of 45.26.
But there’s always the mixed relay. O’Donnell has been a key part of the Irish squad in recent years, competing in the 2021 Olympic final, 2022 and 2023 world finals and, most famously, helping Ireland to gold at the recent Europeans in Rome. But still, that’s no guarantee of selection, with plenty of controversial decisions in this sphere – from Joanna Mills’ omission in 2012 to Rhasidat Adeleke being left off the team in 2021.
There are three men’s spots available for the mixed relay, with five obvious challengers: O’Donnell, Thomas Barr, Cillín Greene, Jack Raftery and Callum Baird. Barr will focus on the 400m hurdles this weekend, trying to ensure individual qualification, but after a blazing 44.90-second split in the European final, he looks assured of a mixed relay place.
O’Donnell is quickest in the open 400m this year, clocking 45.69, but he knows the only way of making sure of selection is doing what he’s done five times in the last six years: win the national title. It’s given the men’s 400m on Sunday the feel of the US Olympic Trials with its ruthless, first-past-the-post policy.
“But it's like that every year so this time around is no different,” says O’Donnell. “I'm someone who thrives off the pressure. I tend to run my best when there is pressure on.”
O’Donnell doesn’t see this as a race-off, though recent history suggests it might be viewed like that in the selection meeting. “There is a bigger picture as well than just one race,” he says. “I think there should be a few considerations, but obviously it's a very good indicator of how you can deal with pressure.”
No athlete has been more devoted to the relay cause in recent years as O’Donnell, who’s undoubtedly tired himself out at times ahead of the individual 400m at major championships. But that investment has produced a great return.
“I get asked a lot, ‘Would you rather be a (400m) finalist or a relay medallist?’ It’s an absolute no-brainer. It would be the medal all day long. At the Europeans it was the priority and I’ve absolutely no regrets because we’re getting success. For me a medal is something I’m hopefully going to show the grandchildren. I love being part of a team.”
It's uncertain if Rhasidat Adeleke will race the mixed relay in Paris, given her obvious medal chance in the 400m, and O’Donnell understands why it could make sense to bypass it. “It’s not a secret that we’d love her to run but that’s a decision to be made by herself and her coaches and whatever they think is best. If she doesn’t run, we’ve made finals before without her. We’ve got good athletes to step up. Of course we’d like her to run but she’s going to make whatever decision is best for her. There won’t be any grudges held over that but all we can do between now and then is try and improve ourselves.”
After Rome, O'Donnell returned to his base at Loughborough University in England, where he's been based for six years. These days he's working under coach Stewart Marshall. "The biggest compliment I can give him is he had me at a championship running my best, and that’s the most important thing."
O’Donnell had to miss the "airport frenzy, the visit to the Taoiseach" after the Irish team returned home from the Europeans and he admitted the week “did take a toll” – the lack of sleep and physical and emotional comedown seeing him catch an illness a week later.
But he's now feeling back to himself, ready to go through that well-known routine this weekend, hoping for a familiar result. The selection decision won’t be in his control, but those 45 seconds will be.
“I'm going to go in and give it my all,” he says.
