DESPITE a disappointing run in Zagreb on Wednesday, Derval O’Rourke can end the season in style this weekend, says coach Sean Cahill.

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.

THE Irish Sports Council (ISC) is pressing ahead with its Beijing review without the involvement of the Olympic Council of Ireland (OCI), an ISC spokesman confirmed last night.

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.

SONIA O’SULLIVAN is poised for a plum position on the Executive Committee of the Olympic Council of Ireland.

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

THE Olympic Council of Ireland (OCI) have set up a special tribunal to hear appeals resulting from the nomination of Star Class sailors Peter O'Leary and Stephen Milne by the Irish Sailing Association (ISA) for the Beijing Games.

Flyweight Conor Ahern got Irelands European Union Championships campaign off to a flying start with a thrilling 20-19 victory over England's Stewart Langley at the National Stadium in Dublin today.

THE ‘Waterford Crystal’ doping scandal which cost Cian O’Connor his Olympic gold medal was referred to by the Hon General Secretary of the Olympic Council of Ireland, Dermot Sherlock, who told delegates at last night’s EGM that they should learn from the debacle and be better prepared in the approach to the Beijing Games.

OUTGOING president Pat Hickey is poised to lead the Olympic Council of Ireland through the Beijing Quadrennial and beyond as he is unopposed at next month’s AGM.

The Cian O’Connor gold medal controversy has given Ireland a bad reputation, the Olympic Council of Ireland admitted today.

THE Olympic Council of Ireland appear certain to stand firm on their weekend deadline for Olympic qualification.

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.

WITH June 30 the cut off point for Olympic qualification, most athletes have their programmes in place for Athens but the High Performance Director, Elaine Fitzgerald, admitted that time is not on their side.

IRELAND will send one its smallest ever team of Olympians to Athens next year — but chef de mission Willie O’Brien yesterday insisted it will be the best-prepared.

THE Olympic Council of Ireland will stand firm on the standards and quotas for next year’s Olympic Games in Athens — which means that only A standards will be accepted in the case of athletics and swimming — as well as on the final date for achieving those standards, set as June 30 next year.

THERE will be no last minute race for qualifying standards for next year’s Olympic Games and Irish athletes will be selected only if they achieve the A standards as the Olympic Council of Ireland strives to get the best prepared team ever to Athens.

THE infamous gear row which raged throughout two Olympic Games and kept Irish athletes out of the last European Youth Olympics could be resolved over the coming months.