Olympics-wise, Thomas Barr put in the best performance on the track for Ireland since 'herself' finished 2nd in Sydney in 2000. Just a few details to put Barr's achievement into some historical context.
1. His time would have been good enough for a bronze medal at London 2012 and silver medals in Beijing and Athens
Barr's performance would have won him a medal at the past three Olympic Games. Javier Culson of Puerto Rico won bronze in London in 2012 with 48.10.
Kerron Clement, the gold medalist here, ran 47.98 in Beijing, winning a silver medal. In Athens, Jamaica's Danny McFarlane ran 48.10 which proved enough to claim a silver medal.
(*Incidentally, Tisdall's winning time was 51.67 in 1932. This was, of course, at a time when the 4 minute mile was still a dream).
2. First Irishman to run under 48 seconds in the 400m hurdles
He told David Gillick after the race.
It's insane. I never thought I'd see the day, especially this year, where I'd see the 47 come up on the clock. It's unbelievable. How many people have run 47 in the world? Probably the four of us in that final?
3. First Irishman to reach the Olympic final of a sprinting event since Bob Tisdall in 1932
Paul Hession came damn close in the 200m in the Beijing Olympics in 2008. He won his heat and finished fifth in the semi-final, with the top 4 qualifying.
4. He was injured for eleven weeks of this season and sliced a second off his season's best in the heat
Barr was off the track for eleven weeks before the National championships in June. In the Europeans this summer, he ran 50.09, failing to reach the final. It was only the 17th best time at the championships.
This was well down on his best run in 2015, a 48.65 in the Olympic Stadium in Rome.
5. Highest Irish finish in a track event since Sydney in 2000
As explained above, Barr's 4th place finish is the best Irish performance in a track event since Sonia won silver in the 5,000 in Sydney. Interestingly, Sonia herself finished 4th in the 3,000 in Barcelona. Eamonn Coghlan, meanwhile, finished 4th at two successive Olympics, in 1976 and 1980.
6. Barr's run makes him the joint 40th quickest man in the history of the 400m hurdles
The world record in the 400m hurdles is 24 years old. Kevin Young ran 46.78 in Barcelona in 1992. It remains the only sub-47 run in the history of the event.
The previous record, and still the second fastest ever, belongs to Ed Moses, who ran 47.02 in 1983. The fastest man in the event this century is only in 7th place, that's Rio gold medalist, Kerron Clement, who ran 47.24 in 2005.
Here are the figures. Barr slots in beside Maurice Mitchell and Joey Woody who ran the exact same time in 1996 and 1998.
(*Barr's run is not the 40th quickest run in the history of the event as the likes of Moses ran better than 47.97 on numerous occasions but only his personal best is numbered in the list.)
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