Brendan Boyce is a veteran of several Games, but his quiet determination and enthusiasm remain undimmed
Ireland’s Brendan Boyce is not different from his rivals, mind and body start in harmony and end up in conflict. Photograph: Morgan Treacy
Boyce committed his young life to this relentless, grinding path. It is 13 years since he went to an event in Germany, chasing a qualifying time for the London Games in 2012 Of all the track and field events, the 50km walk was the most tortuous. When Boyce finished sixth at the 2019 World Championships in Doha, the desert heat was so fierce that the race did not start until 11.30pm
In search of a kinder climate, the 50km walk at the Tokyo Games was staged in Sapporo, 800km north of the host city. As it turned out, there was no relief. The race started at 5.30am in punishing 26-degree heat and relative humidity of 79 per cent; it was 35 degrees when they finished, two degrees warmer than Tokyo.
That is not how it works. Most Olympians live lives of quiet devotion. The big beast sports dominate the news cycles and the audience traffic and the social media screeching. And then for about 2½ weeks every four years, the Olympians grapple for our hassled attention. Who are they? Strangers, mostly.
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