Gráinne Murphy represented Ireland in the women’s freestyle events at the 2012 London Olympic Games, swimming in the heats of the 400 metres freestyle before being forced to withdraw from the competition after revealing she had been suffering from glandular fever throughout the Games.

She had been considered one of Ireland’s strongest medal prospects in the pool and a genuine contender for the 800 metres freestyle final – her specialist event – and had also withdrawn from the 200 metres freestyle to conserve her energy for that race before her condition became public.

From Ballinaboola, New Ross, Co. Wexford, Murphy moved to Limerick aged 13 to train at the High Performance Centre at the University of Limerick, with her mother accompanying her and her father commuting weekly. A prodigious talent, she won three gold medals and a bronze at the 2009 European Junior Championships, was awarded the Texaco Young Sportstar Award in 2009, and in 2010 won silver in the 1500 metres freestyle at the European Aquatics Championships in Budapest – ahead of a world championship silver medallist – as well as bronze in both the 400 metres and 800 metres freestyle at the European Short Course Championships in Eindhoven.

She held three individual Irish national records at the time of the Games. After London, she underwent shoulder surgery, moved to France to train in 2014, and retired from international swimming in February 2016 aged 22 following a severe lung infection – one of the most promising careers in the history of Irish swimming cut short by an accumulation of misfortune.