Olympic Track Star Ciarán Ó Lionáird Dies Unexpectedly at 38

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Ciaran O'lionaird competes at the European Indoor Championships
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NEED TO KNOW​

• Olympic track star Ciarán Ó Lionáird has died at age 38, according to Leevale AC and BBC
• Ó Lionáird, remembered as "an exceptional athlete" by Leevale, represented Ireland at the 2012 Olympics in London
• A cause of death has not yet been made known

Olympic track star Ciarán Ó Lionáird has died at age 38.

Ó Lionáird, who represented Ireland at the 2012 Olympics in London, died in Montreal, confirmed by his club Leevale AC and BBC.

In a statement, Leevale AC said it is "deeply saddened by the untimely passing" of the Olympian. "Ciarán was an exceptional athlete who represented his club, county and country with distinction, but he was equally valued as a wonderful clubman, teammate and friend," Leevale continued.

"His achievements on the track inspired many, while his humility, warmth and generosity left a lasting impression on all who knew him. Ciarán will be dearly missed by his family, friends, his adopted Leevale family the Shines, and the wider athletics community," the club added.

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Ciaran O'Lionaird competes in the men's 1500m
Credit: Dave Thompson/PA Images via Getty

Leevale also noted Ó Lionáird's achievements, including his 1500-meter race at the London Olympics, his bronze medal in the 1500-meters at the European Youth Olympic Festival in 2055 and his additional bronze in the 3000-meters at the 2013 European Athletics Indoor Championships.

A cause of death has not yet been made known.

"An absolute inspiration to so many athletes in the club and across Ireland. Always so approachable on the few occasions where he would return to training. RIP," one user wrote on Leevale's website.

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Ciaran O'Lionaird at the European Indoor Championships
Credit: Dave Thompson/PA Images via Getty

According to BBC, Ó Lionáird struggled with injuries during his career. He reportedly missed a majority of the 2013 season with injury before returning the following year to take home the Irish 1500m national title.

In 2016, Ó Lionáird retired from competing just before the Rio Olympics and while he made an attempt to return for the 2020 Games in Tokyo, "illness" reportedly "denied him that opportunity," per the BBC.

Read the original article on People

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