Emphatic victory for Hickey

All the talk, all the swagger, all the original confidence transpired to be well-founded yesterday in Jury's Hotel, Dublin, when Pat Hickey launched his Olympic presidency into an unprecedented fourth term.

Hickey, who had predicted a landslide victory at the beginning of his campaign against sailing's Richard Burrows, finally finished where he had begun. It was a landslide. Hickey polled 27 votes to Burrows' 10 from the 37 votes on offer.

Much had been written about the 10-vote bloc of the executive committee, but even without that base the incumbent president would still have won. The sports federations, deciding not to heed the wishes of the new Athletes Commission and the pleas of former Olympians Michael Carruth, Eamon Coghlan and Mick Dowling to support Burrows, went overwhelmingly with Hickey.

"I'm absolutely overwhelmed," said Hickey. "It appears that amongst the feder ations I got 17 votes, even if you assume that I got the 10 block executive vote, which you can't because it is secret.

"I want to thank those who supported me and for those who didn't support me," he added. "I hope that I can earn their respect over the next four years as we lead an Irish team into the Olympic Games in Athens. I would also want to thank my family.

"I'm very much aware of my election manifesto and I give an undertaking to deliver on every one of them. My first port of call next week will be to the Minister and John Treacy of the Sports Council," he said.

It was an emotional moment for the former judo competitor. But as he had done four years ago when there was a threat to his power base, Hickey was the best in the house at crunching the numbers.

Burrows, who had urged federations to change the way things had been done for the good of the athletes, was disappointed but stoic. "While I am disappointed at the result, I am not surprised," he said. "I have been greatly heartened by the support I received from so many athletes and from the federations who voted for me. They also voted for badly needed change, which I know hope will be speedily implemented in the best interests of Irish Olympians.

"Finally, I wish all our athletes well in the Winter Olympics in 2002 and in Athens in 2004. I wish Pat Hickey well and hope the need for focus on the athletes and on supporting them throughout their training and international competition phases is now well understood."

The Irish Sports Council (ISC), with whom Hickey has not enjoyed a good relationship over the past four years, also noted Hickey's significant win.

"The Irish Sports Council congratulates Pat Hickey on his re-election as OCI president," a spokesman said. "The council notes that Mr Hickey campaigned on the basis of ending all conflicts involving the OCI and operating in collaboration and co-operation on all fronts. The council looks forward to Mr Hickey implementing his campaign promises."

At the fag end of the affair the meeting adopted a resolution to review the memorandum and articles of association of the company, taking cognisance the Olympic Charter and Irish Companies Acts. That decision appeared to address what many of Hickey's detractors had been complaining about for some time, namely that there are anomalies in the articles. In that at least, everyone seemed to agree.

Along with Hickey, the entire board were re-elected. Football's Louis Kilcoyne easily defended his first vice-president position, while Shay McDonald from gymnastics held his second vice-president place. General secretary Dermot Sherlock and treasurer Peader Casey were also returned with large margins.

The ordinary members of the executive elected were: Mary Baneham (basketball), Bobby Begley (athletics), Dermot Henihan (rowing), Billy Kennedy (cycling), John Mcloy (hockey) and William O'Brien (archery).

One obstacle over, Hickey's next manoeuvre may take him to Moscow in July where he is likely to run against some of the most important sports administrators in the world for one of the positions on the elite International Olympic Committee executive. Don't count him out of that one either.