Costin vows to fulfil Olympic dream in Beijing

Injured Irish Olympic athlete Jamie Costin has vowed from his hospital bed to compete in the Beijing Games in four years time.

Irish Olympic officials revealed medical experts in Athens, who have examined the walker following his horrific car crash yesterday, believe he will make a full recovery.

President of the Olympic Council of Ireland, Pat Hickey, said the 27-year-old’s who sustained a compressed fracture of the lower back, had perked up after the shock of yesterday’s accident in Porto Helis in Greece.

“The medical people think he will make a full recovery,” said Mr Hickey outside the Athens KAT Hospital where Costin has been receiving treatment.

“He is very fit and everything looks right.

“There is no danger of permanent damage and they think he will be able to race again and we are now working towards that.”

Mr Costin’s shot at an Olympic medal in Athens vanished yesterday when the car he was driving careered head-on into a lorry.

He suffered a compressed fracture of a lumbar vertebrae and a broken toe but was able to phone his father Jimmy from the ambulance.

The Waterford athlete was training in the quiet country town of Porto Helis, around 300 miles from Athens, and was due to compete in the 50km racewalk competition on August 27.

He will be flown home by the Luxembourg Air Rescue ambulance on a Leer Jet to Dublin airport tomorrow for treatment in the Mater hospital.

“He was like a new man this morning, he would rather have the treatment at home,” Mr Hickey said.

“He was down on in spirits last night but today he said: ‘I’ll be on the team for Beijing’. That shows his positive thinking.”

The Olympic Council of Ireland president praised the Greek authorities and said it was decided the athlete would be sent home after consultation between the top surgeons in Athens and at the Mater.

The consultants’ advised the athlete should be flown home tomorrow as preparations for the trip would take half-a-day.

Mr Hickey said a simple operation could have been carried out to fix his injuries but he was getting the best treatment to ensure he will compete again.

The athlete will be examined by all the Mater’s top surgeons, two of whom have been recalled from holidays.

Two of Mr Costin’s sisters spent the night in the Olympic hospital and a third sister Nicola travelled over to the Greek capital today to accompany him home.

His parents have cancelled their flights and are waiting for the athlete to return home.

Mr Hickey said: “I have spoken to his parents and they were very happy to know he was going home.”

“He is a great fellow, he is very popular and everyone was very disappointed about what happened.”

Dr Sean Gaines of the Olympic team and Mr Hickey have been keeping the Costin family up-to-date on Jamie’s injuries.

Mr Costin, from Dungarvan, has sent a message to the Irish team in the Olympic village thanking them for their support and telling them to concentrate on their events.

Mr Hickey said the Irish team’s morale was still high despite a number of setbacks including the withdrawal of the world silver medal-winning racewalker Gillian O’Sullivan due to an ongoing injury.

“They are very good and very positive. They were all very disappointed to hear about Jamie but the athletes are now focused on their own event,” he said.

Pierce O’Callaghan, the athlete’s coach, said they have already been in contact with team physiotherapist Jonathan McEvoy to work out a rehabilitation programme for Mr Costin and to look at the options for the future.