Olympian Griffin catches winter bug

IRISH rower Paul Griffin is attempting to join an elite group of athletes to compete at both a summer and winter Olympics.

Killarney-man Griffin, a member of the lightweight fours at the Athens and Beijing Games, has replaced water with ice and snow by becoming a cross-country skier.

This month he and three other Irish competitors are in action at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in the Czech Republic. Points accrued from such events go towards qualification for the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver. Ireland’s coordinator for cross-country skiing, Rory Morrish, is impressed by Griffin’s development.