Luke McCann
Athletics
BIOGRAPHY
Luke McCann represented Ireland in the 1,500 metres at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on his Olympic debut.
McCann came to athletics relatively late, having begun training seriously only in college after picking up the sport at 13 while accompanying his mother to collect his sister from training. His progression was interrupted in 2019 when he required knee surgery for fragmented cartilage, but he returned stronger and in 2021 set a five-second personal best of 3:36.81. His qualification for Paris 2024 came after a demanding period: a stress fracture delayed the start of his season until May, forcing him to race in seven countries across five weeks to accumulate the necessary ranking points. He set a personal best of 3:33.66 at the Diamond League pre-programme in Stockholm in June 2024.
His sister Jodie McCann also made her Olympic debut at Paris 2024, competing in the 5,000 metres – the first time a brother and sister made their Olympic debuts together for Ireland at the same Games.
OTHER ATHLETICS ATHLETES
ATHLETICS NEWS
IN THE NEWS – JUNE 2ND 2026
In another strong weekend of results, Irish athletes delivered on the world stage. Rowing: Three Medals for Ireland at World Rowing Cup I Rowing Ireland made an impressive start to the international season at World Rowing Cup I, returning from Seville with three medals and a series of strong early‑season performances across the squad. Medal [...]
IN THE NEWS – MAY 25TH 2026
In the News – Team Ireland Round‑Up 25th May 2026 Irish athletes delivered standout performances across multiple sports this week, with personal bests, podium finishes and major milestones on the international stage. Sailing A superb week in Croatia saw Eve McMahon win U23 gold and finish fourth overall at the ILCA European Championships. In the [...]
In The News – May 18th 2026
Athletics Mark English made history with a landmark performance in the 800m, surging to victory in a meeting record time of 1:43.85 at the Shanghai Diamond League. The Donegal athlete becomes the first Irish male to win a Diamond League race, adding his name to a growing list of Irish winners on the circuit alongside [...]
Dan Kennedy RIP
Today, a man whose guidance helped shape generations of Irish athletes, including several Olympians, was laid to rest. Dan Kennedy, known to most simply as “DK”, was far more than a PE teacher. He was a mentor, innovator, coach and trusted voice whose influence stretched quietly but profoundly across Irish sport for more than five [...]
Events coming up in May 2026
Athletics 2-3 May: World Athletics Relays, Gaborone, Botswana Boxing 3-10 May: Feliks Stamm Tournament, Warsaw, Poland Canoeing 29-31 May: Canoe Slalom World Cup 1, Ljubljana, Slovenia Cycling 1-3 May: Downhill & Cross-country Olympic World Series round 1, South Korea 22-24 May: Rás Tailteann, Ireland 22-24 May: Cross Country World Series, Czech Republic [...]
In The News – May 5th 2026
Athletics Irish Women’s 4x400m Team Qualify for 2027 World Athletics Championships The Irish Women’s 4x400m relay team produced a hugely impressive performance on Day Two of the World Athletics Relays in Gaborone, Botswana, securing qualification for the 2027 World Athletics Championships in Beijing. The quartet of Rachel McCann (North Down AC), Sophie Becker (Raheny Shamrock [...]