Maria a last gasp runner for Athens

In a dramatic move last evening the Olympic Council of Ireland added Dubliner Maria McCambridge to the Irish team for the Olympic Games.

She will join the Sydney silver medallist, Sonia O'Sullivan, in the women's 5,000m in Athens.

Her inclusion followed a personal appeal to IOC President Pat Hickey yesterday just days after he had insisted there would be no more additions to the team.

That statement came after she had achieved the A standard by some three seconds when finishing third in a very competitive 5,000m race in Heusden-Zolder last weekend.

The Athletics Association of Ireland submitted a strong case for McCambridge on Wednesday, but last evening Pat Hickey accused them of not being very focused on their athletes' endeavours.

"Maria was not included in the appeal presented by them to the OCI which resulted in the recent extension of the cut-off date," he said. "When requested to forward possible team qualifiers prior to the pre-team registration meeting of 28th April, 2004, Athletics Ireland failed to notify our Chef de Mission of Maria's potential.

"Consequently Maria's name was not included on the Athens Olympic Games Registration System for potential team members. In fact the AAI first included Maria's name on an appeal to us last Tuesday."

Yesterday she put her case to the OCI pointing out that she had been unable to secure a quality 5,000m race in which to try to achieve the A standard within the OCI's recently extended deadline. The OCI's original deadline of June 30 was extended to July 3 and then, following some promising performances, to July 20.

McCambridge finally achieved the standard last weekend, 10 days after the final cut-off point and early in the week Pat Hickey said he would not be making any more additions to the team but all that changed for the better yesterday.

"I am pleased to have met Maria today and, on behalf of the Olympic Council, congratulate her on her commitment and determination in pursuing her Olympic dream," he said.

The announcement was welcomed by the AAI Performance Director, Elaine Fitzgerald, who herself competed at world championships level and competed against the Dubliner as a juvenile before they both went their separate ways in the US.

"I am absolutely thrilled for Maria," she said. "I don't think any has worked harder or would be more deserving of inclusion on the Olympic team and I would confidently predict that she will do us proud in Athens."

Those sentiments were re-iterated by Eddie McDonagh, her old coach at the high flying Dundrum/South Dublin - the club she has helped to succession of titles.

"I don't coach her these days - her husband Gary (Crossan) coaches her now - but I am proud to have been associated with her since her juvenile days," McDonagh said.

"She has had a phenomenal year but she has always been a phenomenal athlete. I think her performance in the national championships when she battled her way back to win her first 5,000m title a couple of weeks ago was sensational."