Oisín Joyce has already built a reputation as one of the most promising throwers in the country, long before he improved the Irish under-20 javelin record to 73.72 meters to win the Mannheim International meeting in Germany in June. Last summer, while still only 18, Joyce secured his first Irish senior javelin title for Lake District AC, the small juvenile club in Ballinrobe, Co Mayo, established just over a decade ago. He went on to achieve a sixth-place finish in the European Under-20 Championships.

His 73.72m mark broke new ground, propelling him to fourth on the Irish all-time senior list and earning him a spot at the World Under-20 Championships. These championships are set to begin in Lima, Peru on Tuesday, where Joyce is currently ranked sixth amongst the global contenders.

“They keep you humble around here in Ballinrobe,” Joyce shared before departing for Peru last Thursday, acknowledging the potential for his reputation to inflate.

“At the start of the year, my goal was to achieve a distance around that mark. I actually didn’t have optimal preparation, having sustained a minor shoulder injury. However, I remained relaxed about it and it simply happened.”

Joyce stands out in Ballinrobe, yet seamlessly blends in with the emerging generation of Irish athletes. This cohort is characterized by their eagerness and ability to make their mark beyond the traditional distance running events and, more recently, the sprints.

The Irish contingent of 13 athletes in Lima includes Elizabeth Ndudi, who triumphed in the long jump at the European Under-20 Championships last summer. This 19-year-old from Dublin is currently ranked third best among the entrants this week, having elevated the Irish senior record to 6.68m in Illinois back in April.

Lima will undoubtedly be the most competitive athletics event this year after the Paris Olympics, drawing 1,720 athletes from 134 countries, many of whom also competed in Paris. A testament to the high caliber of competition in the javelin is the participation of Slovenia’s Tom Tersek, who set a national under-20 record of 80.87m in June. Notably, Tersek is still only 17.

Joyce considers himself a perpetual student of the javelin, driven to glean knowledge from as many sources as possible. This summer, he has had the opportunity to connect with Terry McHugh, who still holds the Irish senior record with his 82.75m, achieved in 2000.

“He’s always been a great source of advice,” remarked Joyce, “and someone I admire greatly. The javelin is a discipline where there’s always room for improvement, always something new to learn. My run-up is quite strong, but I’m working on extending that position for longer.

“I simply love to compete, and in competition, when you truly let go, it’s incredibly fulfilling. It’s like perfectly striking a golf ball. You know instantly, you can feel it.”

Joyce’s initial foray into the javelin was purely for enjoyment when he joined his local club. He attributes his backroom coaching team to his father, Pádraic, and mother, Pauline. Until this summer, he also pursued Gaelic football.

“Of course, when you’re from Mayo, you don’t have a choice,” he shared, noting that this summer marked the first time he relinquished the sport to solely focus on the javelin.

“It began with the local athletics club, like everyone else, doing running, long jump, a bit of everything. Then one of my friends was throwing the javelin, and you start out in pairs, in under-9s, on the turbo javelin.

“Around under-17, I wasn’t sure if I’d continue. I decided to give it one more go, that winter, and progressed from 53m to 69m. My clubmate here, Conor Cusack, he also threw 72m as a junior, and we have a few others to train with too.

“We used to practice on the rugby pitch in Ballinrobe, then they built a 200m track here, actually beside the rugby pitch. So, I do some sessions there, but if I want to engage in full throwing and running sessions, I need to travel to Claremorris, or Dangan in Galway.”

Following a year off after completing his Leaving Cert, Joyce is set to commence his studies at the University of Limerick upon his return from Peru. He is already setting his sights on the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.