Arthur Lanigan-O’Keeffe – Modern pentathlon

A late addition to the Irish team in London 2012 (after a Polish entrant failed a drugs test, opening up a wild-card qualifying berth), Lanigan-O’Keeffe was actually on holiday when told he had a spot in the Olympics. He still finished a credible 25th. He’s certainly built on that experience, winning the gold medal at the European Championships in Bath last summer, which this time earned him one of the automatic qualifying spots for Rio. A lot can go wrong in an event which features swimming, fencing, horse riding and then running and shooting, but he now has the confidence to contend for a medal.