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.
