Shannon swimmer Chris Bryan is aiming to put his Olympic heartbreak behind him and come back stronger for the European Championships.
Bryan had a disappointing outcome in the Marathon Swimming Olympic Qualifying Event in Portugal earlier this month. He needed a top nine finish but his final standing of forty first was not enough to secure qualification.
Taking to his social media accounts, the UL PhD student outlined is confident he will recover from this latest setback. He wrote “After a tough week of digesting I would like to thank everyone for their support before, after and on every stop along this Road to Rio. Four Years ago I came agonisingly close to Olympic Qualification. This last Olympic cycle wasn’t focused on redeeming what should have been, but striving to see what level I could reach against the rest of the world.
“I have always prided myself on the fact that sport has moulded me into the individual I am, that as much as the result is what I strive for; it is the lessons learnt along the way that will ultimately stand. Sitting here it’s a hard silver lining to swallow”.
He is determined that this will be not the end of Chris Bryan “The reality is I am still a top international athlete from County Clare; reared and trained in Irish waters still competing at the pinnacle of my sport. I have not yet achieved what I set out but have been a proud ambassador for my country and federation all around the world twice over. The Road to Rio for me is now closed but right now that does not mean the end of the journey”.
“I wish the rest of the Irish Olympic team the best, especially those who I’ve been travelling and training with these past few years. I would like a thank Swim Ireland and my sponsors Asystec Data Management for their support and backing; my friends, family, relatives, my girlfriend Rona and all my support staff. It’s a full team that keeps both my body and head in the water and in this game. The next stop for me is my 5th European Championships in Hoorn, Holland from the 10th-14th of July, and now my penultimate race of the 2016 season, where the pursuit of my best and this adventure continues” Chris concluded.