Dave McManus competed in the men’s judo at the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games, losing his opening bout to eventual silver medallist Juan Ferrer of Cuba before also losing his repechage match – finishing 9th overall, a creditable placing that reflected well on the quality of his preparation.

McManus and Alonzo Henderson were both chosen for Moscow after training full-time with the British Olympic judo squad in London, following a development programme that had been established by the Irish Judo Association in the years after the Montreal Games.

Despite the outcome of both bouts, the quality of McManus’s performance against the eventual silver medallist earned him the 9th overall ranking. The performances of both judoka alerted the IJA to the importance of psychological preparation to augment the physical in future training programmes.