The eight tons of gold, silver and copper unearthed from mines in Mongolia and Utah and now under guard at the Tower of London is the largest ever haul used to make Olympic medals.

Horse Sport Ireland chairman Joe Walsh has warned against a repeat of the controversies that “tarnished” Irish show jumping in the last two Olympics.

Shane Breen obviously hopes Billy Twomey and Denis Lynch secure places for Ireland at the Olympics, but he also believes it is logical there should be a “level playing field” when it comes to selecting who lines out in London.

AS Ireland’s eventing riders go through an intensive training period in a final push to secure a team place in the Olympics, rider Michael Ryan noted how the vagaries of the sport impacted on him and his wife four years ago.

A SECOND postmortem was carried out yesterday on Olympic boxer Darren Sutherland after his body was exhumed from a cemetery in Co Meath.

MIKE Keohane is living proof of life after transplant.

Hope is growing today that women’s boxing would be allowed in to the ring at the London 2012 Olympics.

The International Olympic Committee has called a halt to the short-lived experiment of relaying the Olympic torch around the world.

THE targets set post-Athens were realised and, in some cases, exceeded according to the Irish Sports Council’s review of the preparation of athletes and their subsequent performances in the Beijing Olympics.

RUFUS, the horse of show jumper Rodrigo Pessoa, has tested positive for a banned substance at the Olympics, bringing to six the number of horses to have done so.

In what could be the sport's final appearance at the Olympic Games, the United States baseball team received an unexpected setback in their opening contest of the 2008 Games.

American Michael Phelps equalled the record for the most Olympic gold medals in history by claiming his third at the 2008 Games on Tuesday.

David Gillick got his first taste of the Olympics when the Irish athletics team landed at Beijing Capital Airport on Saturday, greeted by smiling volunteers and some eager local journalists.

THE Irish Curling Association was formally admitted to the Olympic Council of Ireland last night.

Newly-qualified Irish 2008 Olympians, Ken Egan, Darren Sutherland and John Joe Joyce will be targeting treble gold today just 24 hours after securing their places at the 2008 Olympics at the second and final Olympic qualifier for European boxers in Athens, Greece on Friday afternoon.

THE International Olympic Committee says history will prove it was right to award the 2008 Games to Beijing despite concerns over human rights in China.

OLYMPIC chief Jacques Rogge says air pollution could lead to some events at the 2008 Beijing Games being postponed.

THE Olympic Games have displaced more than two million people in the last 20 years, mostly minorities such as the homeless and poor, a rights group said yesterday.

CHELSEA’S chief executive Peter Kenyon has scotched rumours of a rift between him and coach Jose Mourinho.

Beijing Olympic organisers today began soliciting design proposals for the Olympic torch for the 2008 Games, one of several campaigns intended to excite public participation in the event.

New York Olympic bid leaders are to decide whether or not to pull out of the contest for the 2012 Games after plans for their stadium were blocked.

Discredited former world champion sprinter Kelli White has revealed the misery she felt while running as an undetected drug cheat.

THE Irish Paralympic squad returned home from Athens yesterday to a rousing reception at Dublin Airport, even if the country missed out on winning a gold medal for the first time since 1964.

WORLD number eight Pádraig Harrington believes golf should be inducted into the Olympics for the 2008 Games in Beijing.

Greg Norman’s belief that golf should be inducted into the Olympics for the 2008 Games in Beijing was heartily endorsed by world number eight Padraig Harrington today.

CORK will host the biggest boxing tournament in those islands from November 4-8 and the event, which will draw nine nations to the Rochestown Park Hotel, could be the stepping stone to an Olympic qualifying tournament for the 2008 Games.

Jon Ridgeon felt sorry for Toronto after Beijing got the nod to host the 2008 Olympic Games.

The World Squash Federation have continued their campaign to gain Olympic recognition by lobbying the committee hoping to bring the 2008 Games to France.

The International Olympic Committee is to consider a formal application for golf to be included in the 2008 Games.

Scores of human rights demonstrators have picketed outside the International

Granting Beijing the right to host the 2008 Summer Olympics would be a ‘‘wonderful thing,’’ News Corporation magnate Rupert Murdoch has said.

A bid has been lodged with the International Olympic Committee to include golf in the 2008 Games.

Officials in Beijing are painting the city green in an attempt to impress Olympics inspectors.