Sweeney banking on ratification as Athens deadline looms

Athletics: Seven days before the revised deadline for Olympic qualification, discus thrower Nicky Sweeney remains fully confident the 64.12 metres he achieved last weekend will get him to Athens - despite the mark not yet having been ratified by the IAAF.

Sweeney doesn't have any more competitions planned before next Tuesday, which the Olympic Council of Ireland (OCI) announced as their extended deadline, and instead is banking on his throw being ratified over the coming days.

So far, however, the relevant documentation has not been produced to satisfy the IAAF, and as a result Athletics Ireland were unable to guarantee the legitimacy of the throw to the OCI. The problem is Sweeney achieved the distance at a small throwers-only meeting in Allston, just outside Boston, last Sunday week. It was organised by New England Track and Field, who need to forward documentation to US Track and Field, who then pass it to the IAAF.

"It's been so frustrating for me," said Sweeney yesterday, "and the timing has just been horrible. The main problem is that the US track officials are currently tied up with the Olympic trials, which are taking place all this week in Sacramento, California.

"Obviously my throw is not a priority for them, and I've been trying to highlight just how time-sensitive the situation is.

"But I know it's just a matter of getting the right documentation to the right people. Once the IAAF get the ratified results, they go up on the website and that's usually it. It's been exhausting trying to get in contact with the right people to do this, and obviously I don't think it's really appropriate for me to be trying to speed the whole thing up. That should be done by relevant officials."

At 36, and already a veteran of three Olympics, Sweeney has also declared himself "thoroughly delighted" at having surpassed the 64-metre mark necessary for Athens. He left the last Olympics in Sydney officially retired from all competitions, and only began to aspire to such a lofty comeback seven months ago.

Now employed with a banking firm on Wall Street, Sanford Bernstein, Sweeney began training in the early hours of the morning and late at night in his efforts to return to world-class competition. With a surprisingly free run from his old knee injuries, he felt certain a few weeks back that a 64-metre throw was within his reach. Sweeney is still the Irish record holder with his 67.59 metres from 1998.

"My other main concern now is planning the next few weeks before Athens," he added. "I've already used up my four weeks leave in preparing for that throw. But the plan is to come home for the national championships in two weeks and then start the taper for Athens. But this situation is clearly not ideal."

For the handful of Irish athletes still hoping to use the small window of opportunity offered by the OCI, the main problem now is finding suitable competition.

Gary Ryan was on the telephone for most of yesterday trying to get a 200-metre race that might allow him run the 20.59 needed for Athens.

"Right now the only race I'm sure of is Loughborough in England at the weekend," said Ryan. "I'm on the waiting list to get into Madrid on Saturday and Thessaloniki in Greece next Monday, where obviously the conditions would be a lot more favourable.

"But it's been very hard to plan things when up to last Friday we still didn't know what the OCI would accept. Of course we appreciate the extension but at this late stage the practical effect is minimal."

Peter Coghlan continues to come agonisingly close to the 110-metre hurdles mark of 13.55, though his 13.81 run in Portugal on Sunday was hindered by strong headwinds. He too is struggling to find the right competition to give it one last chance.

For Gareth Turnbull, a paced run at the Bangor Games this Friday is being targeted as one of his last chances to get the 1,500-metre standard.