The charges he faces are notoriously difficult to prove and it may well be the arrests, the leaked footage and police press conference were all for the benefit of the police being seen to be doing something, writes Paul Rouse.

The International Olympic Committee has postponed a decision on whether to ban the entire Russian Olympic team from the Rio Games but has announced a raft of measures in response to Monday’s report of state-directed doping.

Olympic Council of Ireland president Pat Hickey feels at his “most relaxed” before any Games during his tenure.

Ireland has an excellent chance of having a women’s sevens rugby team at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio after a spectacular and dramatic debut by a new squad at the European championships which ended in Moscow at the weekend.

FOR the first time the Olympic Torch could be carried through the streets of Dublin if negotiations between the London 2012 organising committee and the OCI President, Pat Hickey, reach a successful conclusion.

ON WHAT was described as “a seminal day” by the chairman of Horse Sport Ireland, Joe Walsh, officers of both the HSI and Olympic Council of Ireland signed an agreement designed to ensure there is no repeat of the doping embarrassments heaped on equestrianism and Irish sport in general at the last two Olympics.

IRELAND’S Pat Hickey was last night unanimously re-elected President of the European Olympic Committees.

KATIE TAYLOR was last night being celebrated as an Olympic champion despite the fact that she has not yet participated in the Olympic Games.

OLYMPIC Council of Ireland (OCI) President Pat Hickey last night warned that Irish hopes of medal glory at the London Games in three years’ time will be ‘a complete flop’ if proposed cuts to sports funding are implemented.

THE Olympic Council of Ireland will not be co-operating with the Irish Sports Council in the Beijing Report, Hon General Secretary, Dermot Sherlock, confirmed at last night’s EGM held in Croke Park.

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

IRELAND’s Patrick Hickey vowed to put youth at the forefront when he was unanimously elected president of the European Olympic Committees (EOC) at an extraordinary session of the EOC on Saturday.

THE Athletics Association of Ireland will have the opportunity to take a major step towards obtaining an athletics licence for the whole island of Ireland at their annual congress in Donegal next month.

THE Olympic dreams of several Irish athletes may be jeopardised by a proposed change in the British Olympic Association charter to include Northern Ireland as part of Team Great Britain for Athens this summer.