It wouldn’t have been a proper Olympics without some selection row, and Pollock found himself part of that when given a marathon spot ahead of Sergio Ciobanu despite running the slower qualifying time. However, and unlike fellow Holywood native Rory McIlroy, the Olympics mean everything to the Belfast doctor who’d taken time out from his medical career to prepare for Rio. He has the championships credentials too, finishing 13th at the 2013 World Championships, and last month justifying his selection with a 17th place finish at the European half-marathon in Amsterdam. Renowned for his attacking race strategy.