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Meet Ireland's Olympic team: Kevin Seaward

The Belfast native is one of three Irishmen competing in the marathon.

Kevin Seaward Karel Delvoije / INPHO Karel Delvoije / INPHO / INPHO

Event: Marathon.

Who is he? One of three Irishmen competing in the marathon along with Paul Pollock and Mick Clohisey.

Where’s he from? Seaward is a Belfast native, though he currently works as an assistant head teacher in North West Leicestershire

Olympic CV: This is Seaward’s first time competing in the Olympics.

Road to Rio: Seaward comfortably secured the Olympic standard in a marathon in Berlin last September with a personal best of 2:14.52 (the Rio standard is 2:17.00).

When does he start? Seaward’s event is due to get underway at 1.30pm Irish time on 21 August.

Where can I follow him? You can follow him on Twitter – @Kevrunning.

What he says:

Athletics Ireland TV / YouTube

Speaking to Athletics Ireland last September, Seaward said achieving less than 2.15 in the Berlin Marathon was a “pleasant surprise”.

Medal chances? Ireland haven’t had the best of records in terms of winning medals in athletics in recent years, so Seaward faces an uphill task to secure one.

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And here’s something you probably didn’t know…

Seaward is an assistant head teacher and PE teacher in Martin High School, which is on the edge of the village of Anstey in North West Leicestershire. Pupil Lizzie Warner, who competes in archery, is also travelling to Rio this summer as part of the British Olympic Association’s Ambition Programme. Warner is a highly promising athlete, having won a bronze medal at The Commonwealth Youth Games. Meanwhile, Dan McLay, who has caught the eye in this year’s Tour de France, is an alumni of the school.

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Paul Fennessy
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