Coghlan: Sonia wrong to only send A team
The Olympic Council of Ireland and Athletics Ireland signed up to an agreement last year that only athletes who achieved an A standard in their chosen discipline would make it onto the Irish team for the upcoming Olympics — despite the International Olympic Committee allowing athletes with B standards to also participate in the Games.
O’Sullivan, who is the Irish Olympic team’s chef de mission, is supportive of that policy, having stated: “If athletes think they can qualify with an A or a B standard they are more likely to settle for the lower one.”
Coghlan, however, claims future potential medallists could wrongly miss out.
He said: “Sonia has said that Eamonn doesn’t know what he’s talking about and that it’s over 20 years since I trained at this level, but I still coach athletes, I see athletes like Ciara Mageean, who is a world youth silver medallist and European junior silver medallist in the 1500m.
“Now, if Ciara Mageean misses the A standard for London by one-10th of a second, would Sonia still opt not to send her?” added Coghlan in an interview which will be run in tomorrow’s Irish Examiner.
“I know that Sonia is only speaking the party line and that she has to say that [she favours the A standard policy] but you’ve got to look at the bigger picture and at kids who in four years’ time could possibly win gold at the Olympic Games on the back of the experience they gained from London.
“Look, it’s not my call, that’s theirs, I’m only giving my point of view. My theory on it all is that the International Olympic Committee should only allow A standard athletes, but since they allow B standard athletes to give weaker and smaller nations a chance to be represented at the Olympic Games and we’re unquestionably a weaker nation in world athletics we should allow some B standard athletes to go.
“I wouldn’t send an athlete who is 30 years of age and been in and out of the scene. But I’d send a Ciara Mageean because she could get to the final and bloody well win a medal, she’s that good. Or take Mark English from Donegal.
“He’s still 18. Would I send him? Sure I’d send him because that kid is a winner.”
* Read the Big Interview in tomorrow’s bumper Irish Examiner.
