Ian Wiley competed in the men’s K-1 canoe slalom at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games, finishing 8th in a discipline that was reintroduced to the Olympic programme for the first time since 1972, and which he had targeted as a genuine medal opportunity. From Chapelizod, Dublin.

He finished second in the World Cup series of racing in 1991 and also won the pre-Olympic race at the La Seu d’Urgell Olympic course – the very course that would be used for the Barcelona Games.

The K-1 slalom course required negotiating 25 gates over 600 metres of wild water. Wiley completed his first run in fine style, moving to an impressive position in the draw, but encountered serious trouble at the seventh gate on his second run and hit both posts heavily. Having regained composure, he hit two more gates on the descent, adding 15 penalty points to his time of 108.93 seconds. His first run became the one that counted, relegating a bitterly disappointed Wiley to 8th place overall – one of Ireland’s finest results in any Olympic canoeing event.

He went on to compete at Atlanta 1996 and Sydney 2000, winning the European Championship in 1996.