A career that yielded two European Indoor titles came to an end today as David Gillick announced his decision to retire from athletics today.
Following in the wake of Derval O'Rourke, the 31-year-old Gillick will concentrate on other pursuits and tonight he joined us to talk about his decision and what the future holds.
"I think what I've achieved in regards to a couple of medals and running 44s...if someone was to say that to me at 16, 17, I would have bitten their hand off," said Gillick, who admitted that he had time to mull over his decision and that things "really hit home" last summer after returning from Australia.
However Achilles issues on top of missing London 2012 were a blow too far and he described that period as a "hard time".
"My mind was all over the place, I wasn't nice to be around and I really wasn't in the best place," he admitted, with Chrstmas being the point where retirement became a reality.
Gillick also discussed the high points of his career, including his greatest achievement of making a World Championship final in 2009 and finishing 5th in the rankings that year.
"To win a Europeans was fantastic but I always wanted to get up against the best guys in the world in a global final. That way you are against Jamaicans and the Americans - really strong sprint nations. You're up there with the best of them. To make a final shows that you have been consistently running fast," he said.
Gillick also discussed his own development as an athlete from childhood and into his teenage years. He also reminisced about seeing a young Usain Bolt on a relay trip to Jamaica, a moment which solidified his own commitment to athletics.
He also spoke about his foray into Gaelic football for Ballinteer St Johns.
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