The reality is the stuff that does drive participation is far less sexy than Olympic medals.

There's no such thing as deserving a medal, our top athletes know. 

The mess is not the fault of the two boxers at the centre of the storm, Algeria’s Imane Khelif or Chinese Taipei’s Lin Yu Ting, who are not breaking any rules by competing in Paris.

Medals have significant value, but what is the cost?

Ireland's Olympic chef de mission Gavin Noble isn’t afraid to admit that athletes in that medal bracket will get higher priority when it comes to support staff and resources, their every need catered for in a way that’s not possible for everyone.

Barr produced a dominant display to win his 12th national title in the men’s 400m hurdles on Sunday but fell short of the automatic Olympic qualifying standard of 48.70 when clocking 50.61

Mu is the reigning Olympic champion, a title she won in Tokyo while still a teenager.

Path to Paris, a three-part documentary series made by Darragh Bambrick, presents this week aiming to show why every Olympic story, at heart, is about toiling in the shadows for a day in the sunlight