He competed in London in 2012
Former Olympian dies at 38
June 10, 2026 – 7:51 p.mReading time: 2 minutes
Former Irish athlete Ciaran O Lionaird is found dead in Canada. The circumstances of his sudden death are unclear.
Former Irish Olympian Ciaran O Lionaird is dead. The former middle-distance runner was found in Montreal at the age of 38. The news caused great consternation in Ireland.
O Lionaird was considered one of Ireland’s greatest middle-distance talents. He celebrated his sporting breakthrough in 2011. Within one summer, he increased his personal best time over 1500 meters from 3:48.36 to 3:34.46 minutes and thus qualified for the World Championships in Daegu. There he reached the final and finished tenth.
A year later he took part in the Olympic Games in London. Due to an injury, he was eliminated in 13th place in his heat. O Lionaird celebrated his greatest international success in 2013 at the European Indoor Championships in Gothenburg. He won the bronze medal in the 3000 meters.
O Lionaird: Cause of death unknown
In the years that followed, his career was repeatedly set back by injuries. Two operations on the Achilles tendon and long breaks made it difficult to return to top-class sport. In 2020 he announced his resignation. A planned comeback for the Olympic Games in Tokyo 2021 did not materialize.
After the end of his career, O Lionaird initially worked for sporting goods manufacturer Nike. He later worked in the music and entertainment industry in Los Angeles. He was most recently reported to have been living in Topanga, California. A cause of death has not yet been revealed.
Athletics governing body Cork Athletics reacted with dismay to the news. According to “thejournal.ie”, his sudden death caused “shock throughout the athletics world”. The association also said: “Everyone at Cork Athletics extends their deepest condolences to Ciaran’s family and friends.”