"ATLANTA. Another day, another press conference.
The venue is the corridor of an airport satellite hotel. The press conference is interrupted at one stage by an outbreak of building work. Never mind. As long as there is no outbreak of peace all parties to this eternal squabble will be happy.
Anyway we are gathered here today to hear the gospel according to Bord Luthcleas na hEireann, the guardian angels of Irish athletes. More specifically we are gathered here today to learn that Bord Luthcleas na hEireann is not in the business of apportioning blame, but if blame must be apportioned, well it has a few suggestions.
In Atlanta, it is so hard to find anybody willing to stand up and accept any blame that the debacle that has been the past week will most likely be deemed what insurers term an Act of God. Until there is a press conference to announce otherwise, that is.
Christy Wall, the international secretary of BLE and Michael McKeon the body's president, sat together on a sedate little two seater.
On the positive drugs test on Marie McMahon, described by Christy Wall as "a charming little girl from Clare", no ban will be imposed by the IOC but BLE and the Olympic Council of Ireland have had their knuckles rapped by the International Olympic Committee. Because of the squabbling, said Michele Verdier of the IOC, "athletes were not getting the right instructions about which drugs are legal."
Back on the two seat sofa, Christy Wall and Michael McKeon asserted that if there was blame to be apportioned it should be laid at the feet of those who refused to accredit the BLE's medical officers.
"For the pre-Olympic competitions we had our honorary chief medical officer Dr Brendan O'Brien and physio Shirley Rycroft with us, both of whom had to depart the scene because we were unable, in spite of many, many efforts to get them accredited."
The issue of the controversial accreditations made to Reebok representative Guy McCallum and Sonia O'Sullivan's manager Kim McDonald was then raised again.
"Definitely", said Michael McKeon, "this problem would knot have arisen if our medical people had been accredited to these Games.
In a statement yesterday, the Minister for Sport, Mr Bernard Allen, expressed extreme concern and disappointment at "the very public differences that had taken place between the Olympic Council of Ireland and BLE in front of the world media."
He said his concern was for the athletes. He intended, along with John Treacy, chairman of the Irish Sports Council, to bold, meetings with both organisations when the Games were over to discuss "the very disturbing events of the last seven days."
Meanwhile back in the real world, Sonia O'Sullivan herself continues to recover after the most trying week of her professional career. She is undergoing a battery of physical tests under the supervision of Dr J Cummiskey, the Olympic Council of Ireland's official medical officer. The possibility of a urinary tract infection is being actively investigated.
O'Sullivan is keeping her racing plans open at present and has not withdrawn from any of the European Grand Prix meets later this month. She is expected to return to her base in London within the next 24 hours.
