From his early promise and learning from his mistakes, the World Championship 800m finalist is not the bolt from the blue that people think
Cian McPhillips winning his men’s 800m semi-final at the World Athletics Championships. Photo: Getty
For an insight into how shocking this is, how utterly improbable, it’s best to take it from the man himself.
When Cian McPhillips’ parents floated the idea of travelling to Tokyo to see him compete, the 23-year-old did his best to put them off.