Sonia’s sunny medal forecast

Thirty months have skipped past since Sonia O’Sullivan was named chef de mission for the Irish 2012 Olympic team and, as she admits herself, she still struggles to come up with a definitive answer when asked just what that entails.

It’s a query that has come her way practically each and every day since December of 2009 when she agreed to become what is effectively the team manager’s role for Ireland’s 65 representatives later this month.

Yet, as the last days tick by before the opening ceremony, another question is beginning to take even greater prominence. Among the media and general public, at least. Medals. Or, how many will we win? And who will win them for us? Four years ago, the Ireland team travelled home from Beijing with three medals — all in boxing — among their luggage and Cobh’s Olympic silver medallist believes that a similar haul should be well within the compass of this latest group in green.