Irish expect too much of their Olympic athletes

IRISH people have to learn to be realistic about what the country’s athletes can achieve in the ultra-competitive Olympic arena, Irish Sports Council Chief Executive John Treacy said yesterday.

Treacy said he was surprised at some of the criticism many of Ireland’s athletes received during the past fortnight, as it was going to take time for the long-term strategy for Irish sporting success to reap results.

“We are obviously very pleased with what Cian achieved, particularly as we highlighted equestrian as one of our elite sports,” Treacy said.