Cillín Greene fails to catch breaks but summer hopes are high

Cillín Greene has endured his fair share of bad luck in recent years.

The Claregalway 24-year-old ran a blinder as part of Ireland's mixed relay team at the Tokyo Games last summer to help them make the final.

In 2019 it looked unlikely that he'd make the Olympics at all after he suffered a nasty fall during his 400m heat at the European Indoor Championships in Glasgow.

Greene broke his elbow, and was further hampered by other subsequent injury niggles that looked certain to derail his Tokyo dreams.

Covid-19 bought him time, he recovered sufficiently to make the relay team and then played a starring role as he set a national record - alongside Phil Healy, Sophie Becker and Chris O'Donnell - in Japan.

There was some frustration at the World Indoors in March where the Irish quartet of Greene, Cathal Crosbie, Brian Gregan and Chris O'Donnell failed to make the final after setting a new national record to finish third in their men's relay heat, but Greene was in a good place.

And then, he broke his elbow again.

"The Indoors was good. It was a nice start to the season, set myself up nicely for a good outdoor season," Greene said at the launch of the Irish Life Health National Track and Field Championships, which take place in Santry on 25/26 June.

"But five weeks ago I had an accident where I fell off my bike and broke my elbow and my wrist. I was going down a hill near my house, there was construction works going on and a couple of vans reversing. I just went flying over the handlebars!

"The healing process is going well, hopefully I should be fine for the summer, but it was a bit unfortunate, There's definitely going to be a few changes to my plans but hopefully once I get my fitness back I should be fine."

Greene is not one to let