'An Cliath Oilimpeach – The Olympic Hurdle' follows the story of a 400m hurdler, Diarmuid Clancy, (Diarmuid MacFhlannchadha) as he trains to reach his goal of competing at the world’s most iconic sporting event.
A pivotal aspect of the film is an essay that Diarmuid wrote in school, which is used throughout the documentary to illustrate how one race influenced his Olympic dream.
As with any athlete, the path is filled with obstacles—the constant pressure of balancing sport with daily life, education and finance. But when the COVID-19 pandemic sweeps across the globe, it creates an entirely new set of hurdles for Diarmuid to overcome, including the doubt of the Games going ahead at all.
Three-time Olympian and World Champion sprint hurdler Derval O'Rourke provides experienced context to Diarmuid's struggle, offering expert insight and reflecting on her own journey to show how resilience, perseverance and external unknown forces can shape the path of an athlete at a delicate time of transition.
An Cliath Oilimpeach explores over three years what it takes to hold onto a goal when everything seems to be working against you.
Along the way, Diarmuid reveals the delicate balance between the reality of limited resources and the weight of expectation, while also highlighting the invaluable life lessons learned through the pursuit of something greater than oneself.
Diarmuid is a former student of Meanscoil San Nioclás in Ring, and currently a resident of Co Waterford. The documentary director is Darina Clancy of Cormorant Films, based in Ardsallagh, West Waterford.
An Cliath Oilimpeach airs Thursday 2nd January at 7:15pm on TG4 and 5th January at 6.10pm.
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