John Doherty competed in the men’s 5,000 metres at the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games, reaching the final and finishing 9th – one of only two Irish athletes to reach an athletics final at those Games.

Arriving in Seoul with a personal best of 13:17.14, one of the fastest times in the world that year, Doherty was regarded as a potential medallist. He spent time at an altitude training camp in St Moritz before finalising his preparation in Japan alongside John Treacy, Marcus O’Sullivan, Frank O’Mara and Eamonn Coghlan.

In the final, the race was turned into a one-man exhibition by Kenya’s John Ngugi who ran away from the field after only two laps – recording a breathtaking third lap of 59.6 seconds. Doherty was one of the first to react to Ngugi’s breakaway and led the chase, but was less than six seconds down at the 3,000 metres stage when the chase effort started to take its toll. He was passed by Portugal’s Domingos Castro and then by several other athletes in the closing laps, eventually finishing 9th in 13:27.21. His solo front-running gamble in pursuit of Ngugi was one of the most courageous performances in the race.