OCI stand firm on standards and quotas for Athens Games

THE Olympic Council of Ireland will stand firm on the standards and quotas for next year’s Olympic Games in Athens — which means that only A standards will be accepted in the case of athletics and swimming — as well as on the final date for achieving those standards, set as June 30 next year.

And honorary general secretary Dermot Sherlock told last night's annual general meeting of the OCI that the extreme standards for the recent world track and field championships may be reviewed and could be even be reviewed upwards.

"I wish to confirm that B Standards will not be recognised as sufficient for entry to the Games in athletics or in swimming and that the closing date for nominations by national federations to the OCI for qualified Athletes will be June 30," said Mr Sherlock.

"I also reported last year that quotas would apply for the first time in the Olympic Games in athletics at the Athens Games. The standards passed by the IAAF for the recent world championships in Paris were set as 'provisional' for Athens and may be reviewed shortly in particular events to maintain the quota of 2,000 athletes in Athletics at the Games. The OCI will await developments in this area with interest," he said. Last night, when the OCI moved to the Gresham Hotel as part of a new sponsorship deal, cash presentations were made to three prospective Athens medallists Gillian O'Sullivan, who won the silver medal in the 20k walk at the recent world athletics championships in Paris, and the two rowers who won bronze at the World Rowing Championships in Milan, Sam Lynch and Gearóid Towey who was represented by his parents, Gerry and Carmel, and there was also a presentation to Colin Costelloe who won two silver and bronze medals at the European Youth Olympics in Paris.

Pat Hickey, the president of the OCI, told delegates that everything was on target for Athens. Delegations have already visited Athens and the training camps in both Cyprus and Seville have already been used.

Delegates were shown film footage of a series of building sites in Athens where the various events will take place and Mr Hickey said it was now necessary for them to move from a high-quality operational planning phase to the actual delivery phase.

"Almost all construction works is now underway with the organisers working to precise deadlines," he said. "The IOC has, however, stressed that any slippage at this stage of preparations would affect the quality of the Games and the need, therefore, to do everything possible to avoid such a situation. All test events will be held at the Olympic facilities."

Last night's meeting was a cordial one with Mr Hickey commenting on the cordial relationships that existed between the OCI and the Minister for Sport, John O'Donoghue, and the Irish Sports Council. "As you all know too well the key to executing programmes and developing sport is hard cash. In that regard the Sports Council has again reacted very favourably to our constant representations for grant-aid. For 2003 the ISC has responded generously with funding," he said but added that the one area that the funding was not sufficient was in administration. And if there was going to to be any discord at the meeting, then it was always going to be the walkout at last year's meeting over the disbandment of the Athletes' Commission and it was, inevitably, raised.

Brendan O'Connell (canoeing) a former member of the OCI, asked why it had not been mentioned in the minutes of the meeting and was told by Mr Hickey that it did not merit mention.

"I notice that there is no mention in the Minutes that three Federations actually walked out in protest at the athletes commission being prevented from entering the meeting," said Mr O'Connell said. And when Mr Hickey noticed later that Mr O'Connell had left the meeting he said he wondered if it had been another walkout.

He told the meeting they had created a new interim committee to lead the Athletes' Commission under the chairperson of Sam Lynch, world champion rower and bronze medallist at the recent world championships in Milan. "They are working on finalising a system for elections that will be all-embracing and will give as many athletes as possible a chance to vote," he said.

Referring to the Olympic Performance Committee, the joint committee formed to plan and prepare for the Athens Olympic Games, he said they had been meeting regularly with great success.

In conjunction with this, he announced the appointment of Martin Burke, as the OCI Sports Director. Mr Sherlock announced that the Olympic Council of Ireland, with the support of the Irish Sports Council, will bid to host the Summer European Youth Olympics in Limerick in 2009. "Shortly detailed inspections of accommodation and sports facilities will take place to establish the viability of a bid."