400m champion Kelly says “he never looked back” after rugby switch
Below is an extract from the latest issue of Inside Track, European Athletics’ official online magazine, looking back on the Tampere 2025 European Athletics U20 Championships and one of the outstanding athletes of the week, men’s 400m gold medallist Conor Kelly of Ireland.
Ireland’s Conor Kelly delivered one of the standout performances of the week with men’s 400m gold in a national U20 record of 45.83.
For the London-born sprinter, whose family roots are in Derry and County Meath, the victory represented the culmination of a journey that began not on the track, but on the rugby field.
“I was actually in the Harlequins Academy, playing in the second row at first because I was tall, then moved out to the wing when they realised I was quick,” Kelly explained. “I went to the track to build some speed for rugby, but I never looked back. Athletics just grabbed me.”
The transition wasn’t instant. At last year’s European Athletics U18 Championships in Banská Bystrica, Kelly left disappointed. “I wasn’t injured, but I’d committed the whole year to athletics and it just didn’t go my way. That was hard to take – but it gave me a big driving force. It pushed me here to Tampere, to run the time I did.”
This year, everything clicked. “I hit the first 100 hard, cruised through the back straight, and then seeing people around me gave me a little boost for the last 100. It wasn’t perfect – I wanted to be further ahead at 300 – but it worked out. I always want to upgrade my medals, to do better every time.”
Irish team spirit lifts Kelly
The Irish team atmosphere also played its part. “It’s amazing – we’re like a family. They always want to be the loudest cheer before the race. That gives you a lift. I still miss the team spirit from rugby, but being with this group, it feels the same.”
With his bleach-blond hair catching the Tampere sun, Kelly looked every bit the new face of Irish sprinting. He now heads to the University of Texas in Austin, following in the footsteps of Rhasidat Adeleke.
“I’m excited to get out there. Hopefully I can have as good a career as Rhasidat's having,” he said. “This was the main goal of my season. I wanted the championship record too, but that’ll have to wait. Next time.”