It’s game on: World gold lifts Olympics gloom

DARK shadows hanging over Ireland’s participation in the Olympic Games, in Rio de Janeiro, were lifted briefly by two sparkling events over the weekend. 

Notwithstanding the lacklustre performance of our boxers, from whom so much was expected but who failed to win a medal (amid controversies over doping, betting and bent refereeing), all the athletes and their coaches were welcomed yesterday by President Michael D Higgins and his wife, Sabina, to Áras an Úachtaráin.

Mind you, in the course of his address, the President, who has an admirable reputation for being a straight talker, pulled no punches. He reminded his audience that serious issues had been exposed in Rio, on doping and the administration of sport. He said that if these were not addressed, they had the potential to undermine public confidence “in our athletes, in our sporting administration, and in the fairness of international sporting competition itself”. Naturally, the other notable sporting event of the weekend was the scintillating gold-medal victory of Skibbereen rower, Paul O’Donovan, at the World Rowing Championships, in Rotterdam. Keeping a promise made to pals in Rio, after he won a silver medal there with his brother, Gary, in the lightweight double sculls, he gave a stunning performance in the single sculls, beating world-class opponents by a four-second margin. In rowing, that is worth a mile.