Kieran Behan on Baku, battling arthritis and unfinished Olympic business

Unfinished business

In 2012 Kieran Behan was an ambitious 22-year-old who was about to announce himself as 'that Irish gymnast' at the Olympics in London. His story of twice having to learn how to walk after devastating injuries and surgery was one of true Olympic spirit and endeavour. But Behan isn't interested in looking back, and is now firmly focused on making up for lost time after missing a whole year to surgery on his arthritic knee. We sat down with the Londoner ahead of the very first European games next week in Baku, and got to chat about life since London, his favourite box set and coping with paying rent and still performing at his very best. Kieran, what have you been up to since we last saw you at the Olympics in 2012? Immediately after London I had some down time and then I was getting back to it and dreaded injuries hit again. Because of all the knee injuries I've had before I have a lot of trouble with my cartilage, so I had micro-fracture surgery and because I have arthritis in my knee they had to drill holes into the bone to make it stronger so it could take more impact. Are you a good patient? No, not really. I've had injuries before and you try and get back as fast as you can and that's always the trouble. I know how hard to push my body. If they say to me my lay-off is six months I know I'll do it faster because I know my body can take that. How did you spend the time when you were recovering I have my specific sofa that I get comfortable in after training. I get my knee up and get the frozen peas on my knee and that's my day-to-day thing. I've just started Entourage and over at Baku I'll probably get some more of it seen as well. I'm massively into Game of Thrones as well but I need to catch up on the latest series. What's your ambition for next week in Baku at the first European games? I want to go out and enjoy it firstly. My own goals are the two finals, the All-Round final and Floor final. I want to have a good two qualification days. I'm definitely capable of both finals and it would fantastic if I did get to them. We compete on Sunday but we're in a good sub division and we're the last sub division on the first and the second day so we have a good draw so that's positive. My aim and the way my preparation has gone I think I could make both finals. Whether it will go as well on the day is just sport, but I've put myself in the best possible position I can. How important is this first 'European Olympics' for Ireland and for you? I think it's great from an Irish perspective, but from gymnastics it is going to be massive. Gymnasts really don't get to do a multi-sport event apart from the Olympics, or maybe in college, and to be part of the history of the first ever games is really special. For me it is another Olympics and it will be great to have that going into the qualifiers for Rio starting later in the year. How are you finding life financially now after struggling for a long time with balancing work and sport? For me there is still the day-to-day struggle. I train all the hours I can and I work and that just about covers my rent. Everything is gauged to make my training life as smooth as possible. My parents are as proud as ever and they're just happy to see me keep improving. Getting sponsors takes the weight off my shoulders, but it is a day-t0-day worry for me and so many other Irish athletes.  'How am I going to pay my rent this month?' 'Will I have to work extra hours to cover everything?' I've no other option apart from coaching in terms of a job. If I don't coach there is no way in hell I'm paying my rent. If I don't pay my rent then I'm not training and if I'm not training then what am I doing all this for. If I was just coaching then I may as well not be training, so everything is geared to having enough to get by for how every many years until I achieve everything that I think I need to achieve. Everything else is irrelevant really. Have you changed how you prepare from what you did in the run up to 2012? Before I'd be so focused on training that you'd almost be still training in your mind even when you were at home. You go home and you're thinking that you need to do this or do that for my next session. But because I came up with my own program, and I'm really religious in documenting everything I've been doing, all I need to do is look back at what I've done in my book instead of wondering what I need to do. I've started reading a little bit and what other people do and how they prepare and big changes like that has made a massive difference. You seem physically much fitter and stronger compared to three years ago? I'm definitely in the best shape I've ever been. My weight management as been really good and the training plan has been fantastic and key. I learned a hell of a lot from 2012, just about things I was missing and things I needed to implement to make myself better. I train anything from 25 to 30 hours a week and then I work in coaching at 25 hours a week too. The heaviest I was before was 72KG and now I'm under 60 kilos so that's a big difference, and that's just from a different training programme I've put in place and the number of routines I've been doing. At the national championships I hit two personal bests the first day and hit another on the second day so I've been extremely happy with my preparation and it's been the key to how I'm feeling in the build up to Baku and then obviously Rio. How big an ambition is it to reach another Olympics? There is some unfinished business for me with the Olympic games. I'm very focused at the moment and sometimes people's downfall can be looking at the long term goal. I think you just need to take each competition as it comes , almost each training session as it comes. The Northern European Championships after Baku is my next big event around September, and that's here, and then it's the World Championships in Glasgow in October. Then the next qualification stage is March/April time, and that's the decisive time of whether we're going to Rio or not. It's much different to last time so there is a longer gap and it will be interesting to maintain fitness and skill level and seeing where you need to improve. Would you like to add to your Olympic tattoo collection Well I want to put Baku 2015 under the 'London 2012' and I'm sure there will be enough room for Rio as well. BT Ireland announced the renewal of their partnership with Irish Olympic gymnast Kieran Behan for a further two years as he continues on the road to Rio 2016. Kieran competes in the 2015 European Games in Baku on June 12^th. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_b6mM53g_m4