OISIN O’CALLAGHAN: IRELAND’S FIRST MTB WORLD CHAMPION

World champion is a title regarded as the pinnacle of an athlete’s career, something that usually comes – if they’re lucky – after years of striving. Not for Oisín O’Callaghan, the 17-year-old from Limerick, Ireland, who took home the rainbow jersey at his debut international race, becoming Ireland’s first ever mountain bike world champion. We sat down with him to try and figure out what propelled him to stardom with such apparent alacrity.

OK, just to start, for those of us who don’t know you and who aren’t from Ireland, how do you pronounce your name?

You say it like Ush-een.

Can you sum up your season in a few words?

Crazy. The