Frank O'Mara won two World Indoor 3,000 metres titles - at the inaugural World Indoor Championships in Indianapolis in 1987 and again at the 1991 World Indoor Championships in Seville - establishing himself as one of the most decorated Irish middle-distance runners of his generation. In Indianapolis, he and his compatriot Marcus O'Sullivan won their respective gold medals on the same afternoon, delivering an extraordinary double for Irish athletics in a single session.
He competed at three Olympic Games: the 1984 Los Angeles Games (1,500 metres), the 1988 Seoul Games (5,000 metres) and the 1992 Barcelona Games (5,000 metres). He also held the world indoor two miles record and, alongside Marcus O'Sullivan, Eamonn Coghlan and Ray Flynn, set a world record in the 4 x 1 mile relay in Dublin in August 1985.
From Limerick and a schoolboy star at St Munchin's College, O'Mara was recruited to the University of Arkansas by the legendary coach John McDonnell. After an injury-ridden 1982 season and with the help of sports psychologist Dr John Childers, he ended his Arkansas career by winning the 1983 NCAA 1,500m championship in a field that included Marcus O'Sullivan, Joaquim Cruz and Earl Jones.
He returned to Ireland to run a personal best of 3:52.50 in the mile at the Cork City Sports - the third fastest ever by an Irishman at the time - and won the 1983 national 1,500m title. A virus infection curtailed his Los Angeles preparation. His personal bests were 3:34.02 for 1,500 metres (1985) and 13:13.02 for 5,000 metres (1987).
Athletics
