Athletics: A hugely disappointing turnout in Trinity College cast a dark shadow over the Olympic Council of Ireland's scheduled meeting of Olympic athletes in Dublin last night, writes Johnny Watterson The OCI invited 183 athletes to attend the meeting, but only 12 turned up to the Edmund Burke Theatre. Those 12 athletes represented a total of 11 sports.
The meeting was arranged for athletes from the last five summer and winter Olympic Games in order to elect a representative onto the OCI. The nominated athletes will carry a vote on the executive of the OCI.
The dismal turnout contrasts sharply with the Irish Athletes Forum which was formed two weeks ago in the City West Hotel in Dublin where 30 people turned up from 65 invitations.
The Irish Athletes Forum, however, urged those involved in Sydney and the previous games to attend the next scheduled meeting on January 4th , which will elect a committee, one that may have influence and contribute to Olympic Games in the future. A representative of the Irish Athletes Forum said: "We were happy about the attitude of the OCI but the turnout was extremely disappointing. Everyone expected more athletes to turn up."
Athletics: A top-ranking Athletic Association of Ireland (AAI) official yesterday said the association had been embarrassed internationally by the long-running squabble over clothing sponsorship with the Olympic Council of Ireland, writes Johnny Watterson. Returning from an International Amateur Athletics Federation Council meeting at the International Olympic Committee (IOC) headquarters in Lausanne, Irish AAI secretary Christy Wall said the whole dispute, which resulted in Sonia O'Sullivan changing gear in a tunnel in Atlanta as well as a very public squabble before Sydney, was greeted with incredulity at the meeting.
"I'm embarrassed about what happened," said Wall. "This happens nowhere else in the world. It didn't do any of us any good. It didn't do anything for the athletes or the volunteers and it does nothing for us internationally."
"It is difficult to explain away what is effectively internecine warfare," said Wall. "We have great difficulty convincing our colleagues that things are really so bad here. They are incredulous. `Why are you fighting all the time?' they say to us.
Wall went on to say that a speech delivered by the outgoing president of the International Olympic Committee IOC, Juan Antonio Samaranch, emphasised co-operation between federations and national Olympic committees.
Snooker: Fergal O'Brien failed to reproduce the form that won him a place in the last eight when he was beaten 9-2 by world champion Mark Williams at the Liverpool Victoria UK Championship at Bournemouth yesterday. Williams will now meet Ronnie O'Sulivan who came from behind to beat Quintan Hann 9-5 in today's semi-final.
In the other quarter-final Stephen Hendry came from 6-2 down to beat Stephen Lee 9-8 and will now meet John Higgins in the semi-final.
Tennis: Ireland's non-playing tennis captain Peter Wright conceded in Athens yesterday he had travelled to this week's European Nations team championship (promotion group) with a weakened team that was not good enough to win out.
Wright had just watched his side get a 3-0 drubbing from Yugoslavia in their opening match. Ireland face Malta today. Limerick's Conor Niland, new to this level, was the only Irish player to win a set, although Peter Clarke served for the second set in a tight encounter against with the top Yugoslavian, Aleksandar Sloviv.
Greece and the Slovak Republic are also involved in the group but, according to Wright: " "if we are beaten tomorrow we will be coming home".
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