Cathal Dennehy: Funding should help athletes who hit rocky patch too

'When you need it the most, they’re not there,' Ciara Neville said of the system. 

LEAN ON ME: Ciara Neville of Emerald AC, Limerick, centre, is congratulated by Lauren Roy of Fast Twitch AC, left, and Sarah Leahy of Killarney Valley AC, Kerry, after winning the senior women's 100m final at Morton Stadium. Pic: Sam Barnes/Sportsfile

Earlier this week, in an interview Ciara Neville did following her 100m victory at the nationals, there was one line from the Limerick sprinter that stood out. It captured a cold truth about the way Olympic sports are funded in Ireland, and it was based on lived experience.

“When you need it the most, they’re not there.” She was referring to the International Carding Scheme, Sport Ireland’s method of funding top athletes since 1999. The first thing to say about that system? It works. Twenty years after Ireland won zero medals at the 2004 Athens Olympics, the team returned from Paris with a record seven. The investment is not the only reason Ireland is now much stronger across Olympic sports, but it’s a big reason. It allows many to commit to sport full-time or to work reduced hours, freeing up more time and energy for elite-level training.