Read more about Some athletes shelving plans to run for Olympics amid delayed Tokyo Games on Business Standard. Driving to Dublin it’s, well, a long way from Tipperary. Too long for Dean Gardiner, especially with a new baby and full-time university courses.The Irish super heavyweight boxer tried to endure the grind of traveling and training for another shot
Driving to Dublin it’s, well, a long way from Tipperary. Too long for Dean Gardiner, especially with a new baby and full-time university courses. The Irish super heavyweight boxer tried to endure the grind of traveling and training for another shot at the Olympics, but he’s called it a career. The four-time Irish champion said the Olympics, delayed a year because of the coronavirus pandemic, are no longer his top priority. « I just couldn’t do it all, » the 32-year-old Gardiner said of his packed schedule, which included driving several times per week from Tipperary to Ireland’s high-performance training center in the capital 100 miles away. « The year was going by, I was getting older, I have the responsibility of being a father, I have a responsibility to give everything to my college, » he said. « I have other priorities now that are higher up the list than boxing. » Gardiner is just the latest athlete deciding against another Olympic run. Lin Dan, a two-time Olympic champion in badminton from China, retired last year.
