Olympic letdown - Athletes not the only ones to blame
Characteristically, what Sonia lacked in speed, she more than made up in dignity, finishing the 5000-metre final with courage and resolute commitment though she had been lapped by the entire field.
Particularly worrying is the fact that Sonia's lacklustre performance in Greece appears to have been replicated among other members of the squad, far younger athletes who have yet to match her outstanding achievements.
'Squad' is probably the best word to describe Ireland's participation there. To call it a 'team' would be something of a misnomer.
Many people have remarked on the perplexing absence of a tangible Irish team spirit in Athens. Essentially, it is coming down to individual competitors pursuing their own elusive dreams.
The performance has become more important than the taking part in the Olympics. But there can be no denying the importance of engendering a team ethos among the athletes.
Inexplicably, that quintessential ingredient seems to be missing as far as Ireland is concerned.
It is patently clear from today's analysis of their performance that our athletes have failed utterly to live up to their own high expectations. One after another, they have failed to match their own personal best performances.
Arguably, the tone of demoralisation had set in even before the games began when middle distance runner Cathal Lombard admitted using a performance-enhancing substance. But he cannot be blamed for Ireland's virtual collapse.
On the surface, the organisational problems which dogged Ireland's involvement at Atlanta and Sydney have apparently been ironed out. But in the labyrinthine world of sports politics the reverberations can still be detected. Most notably, members of the sailing team not only had to cope with failing to deliver a medal-winning performance, they also had to bear the brunt of harsh criticism from the head of the Olympic Council of Ireland, Pat Hickey.
In an unprecedented attack, which has rightly been described as "grossly unfair and wholly unprofessional", he claimed the sailors had performed dismally, having received more money than anybody else.
Furthermore, he said the structure of the Irish sailing Olympic section should be looked at and evaluated from top management down. By coincidence, David Burrows, a sailor on whom medal hopes had been pinned, is the son of drinks company boss Richard Burrows who had challenged Pat Hickey for the Presidency of the OCI.
From Sports Minister John O'Donoghue down, the point has been reiterated that no Irish squad was so well prepared or so richly funded. Around €11 million has been spent on Ireland's Olympic bid but this is a pittance compared to the investment of other nations. It is also insignificant compared to the €15m spent by this Government on the Punchestown equestrian centre, a white elephant built by developers who counted Cabinet ministers among their pals.
If this country is serious about competing in future Olympics, Government investment in sport must be more realistic and meaningful, focusing on developing the potential of young athletes from an early age.
Athletes are not to blame for the failure of Athens, if it can be so called. The fault lies deeper. A root and branch review of Irish sport, including the performance of the Olympic Council, is urgently needed.
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