Sara Treacy – Athletics

With both father Liam and mother Siobhan former international distance runners, Treacy was destined to leave some mark on the sport, although Rio has come relatively late in her career, having previously concentrated on her medical studies at Birmingham University. She’s also a late convert to the steeplechase. Cross country was her previous speciality and she was part of the Irish team that won European gold in 2012. Treacy built on that breakthrough by making the final of the Europeans last month, finishing ninth, then improving her best to 9:39.41 at the London Diamond League.