Phil Healy faces into uncertain winter heartened by Olympic soundings

A long and uncertain winter lies ahead for Ireland's Olympic hopefuls so recent suggestions from Tokyo that the Games will go ahead come what may in 2021 have been music to the ears.

Japan's Olympics minister Seiki Hashimoto said earlier this month that the event will proceed “by all means necessary”. The International Olympic Committee's vice-president John Coates was quoted the day before saying that the Games would happen “with or without Covid”.