Thomas Barr – Athletics

This time last year Barr would have presented Ireland’s best chance of a track finalist, his 2015 including another lowering of his Irish record to a world-class 48.65 seconds, plus a gold at the World University Games. He also only fell two places short of making the final at the World Championships in Beijing, but things stalled by the recurrence of an old hip injury, which meant he didn’t race until the National Championships at the end of June. What the Waterford man doesn’t lack is determination, and if he can fast-forward his season to 48-second territory then that final might still be possible.