Sonia O'Sullivan: Ireland must focus on elite performers

With one Olympic cycle concluded, so begins to road to Tokyo.

Ireland sent a track and field team of 17 to Rio – relatively on par with the dispatches to London and Beijing. But instead of increasing the number of athletes sent to Japan in four years time, Sonia O’Sullivan yesterday insisted resources should be focused on a small group of elite and improving performers.

400m hurdler Tom Barr was the sole Irish track athlete to finish in the top 10 of his event – the Ferrybank sprinter was .05 of a second off a bronze medal - and O’Sullivan believes the emphasis should be on improving results rather than increasing the presence of the green singlet at the next Games.