Boyce tips race walker Kenny to win Olympic medal

IRISH two-time Olympian Brendan Boyce believes that the sky is the limit for fellow race walker David Kenny from Ballyhar.

The 21-year-old Farranfore/Maine Valley athlete, a training partner of Boyce under the tutelage of Rob Heffernan in Cork, has sprung to prominence in 2020 with victories in the National Indoor 5km walk and the National Outdoor 20km walk.

The more experienced Donegal man Boyce, runner-up to the Kerry walker in both events, is confident that Kenny has what it takes to go to the top of his chosen pursuit.

“He has taken to it like a duck to water,” said Boyce to The Kerryman this week.

“He has naturally more speed than me, though I would fancy myself over the longer distances. Anything over 20km anyway. David has proved that he’s got what it takes. The talent is there, and so is the mentality. I can see him being a fixture on the international scene for the next ten years at least. He will be finished college soon, there will be no distractions, the potential for David is endless.”

Before the COVID-19 pandemic brought pretty much all sporting activity in the world to a sudden halt, Kenny was preparing for the now cancelled World Team Walking Championships in Belarus in May and he had also, almost certainly, nailed down his place in Ireland’s Olympic squad for Tokyo.

With the European Championships in Paris in late August looking extremely unlikely to take place, the Ballyhar star’s immediate progression has hit a roadblock, but Boyce is convinced that Kenny is only going to get better and better.

“Next year in Tokyo will be an experience and a bonus for David. He will really be looking to Paris (2024) and Los Angeles (2028) to make his mark. Next July he will also have the Euro Under-23s in Bergen in Norway and he should be relishing those type of events, competing with fellas of his own age, and trying to win a medal. There are massive carrots ahead of him in the next few years,” stressed Boyce.

Can the Kerry man win an Olympic medal in the future?

“He’s a more natural talent than me. And I think I can win a medal! Once he doesn’t steal my Olympic medal, he’ll be fine!” laughed Boyce.