OCI to continue inquiry into Star selection mess

SAILING: The controversy surrounding the selection procedure for the Star keelboat class Irish representative in Athens 2004 took a new turn yesterday when the Irish Sailing Association (ISA) secured the support of its Olympic Group (ISAOG) which had resigned two weeks ago.

However, the Olympic Council of Ireland (OCI) is to press ahead with its investigation into the matter and has extended the remit of the process to cover all Olympic classes.

In an interview with The Irish Times yesterday, the spokesman for the ISA, secretary general Paddy Boyd, said that "we have nothing to hide and will co-operate fully" with the OCI. The resignations have been "parked" on the basis that an earlier decision by the board of the ISA to overturn the group's recommendations would be "set-aside".

The ISA appointed its Olympic Group, comprising various previous Olympians and full-time managers, to oversee all aspects of the Olympic Sailing effort in Ireland.

All classes are subject to an agreed qualification and selection procedure, as just a single place is available in each discipline on the national squad. The ISA is empowered by the OCI to determine the procedure and then makes its nominations to the national Olympic body for inclusion on its team.

In a briefing email to the Irish Sports Council, Boyd stated the ISA's history of the affair, summarised as follows: 1. In February 2002, the ISA published its Olympic Requirements Document providing information about Funding, the International Carding Scheme and Olympic Nomination and Selection.

2. In May 2002, a letter was issued to the Star sailors advising that pre-selection would apply. This letter was signed by the competitors and returned to the ISA

3. In early 2003, it emerged that each Star crew had interpreted the documents differently. Mark Mansfield believed the pre-selection did not allow for a top-16 finish at the 2003 World Championship, while Max Treacy believed it did.

4. On March 18th, the ISA Olympic Group met to consider the original documents and consider the overall position. A top-16 finish at World Championship is confirmed as part of pre-selection.

5. On March 24th, the ISA board backed the ISAOG interpretation as correct. The board then considered the wider implications of the process and the potential damage to the sport that might ensue should the country fail to qualify for the Olympics in the Star class. The board decided the pre-selection mechanism should be removed in favour of direct trials in 2004.

Crucially, the briefing note makes no reference to a fact acknowledged by both ISA and team management, as well as the competitors, that the differing interpretations were based on mistakes made in the drafting of both the February and May documents that appeared to contradict one another. In fact, the intention of the May document was to clarify the original errors.

Meanwhile, the president of the OCI, Pat Hickey, reacted to the latest development yesterday afternoon. "We are extremely annoyed that the ISA has given information to the Sports Council and not extended the same courtesy to the OCI," he said.

The OCI is to establish a sub-committee under Hickey's chairmanship that will extend the inquiry into all the Olympic Sailing classes.

Responding to an ISA letter to the Star class athletes yesterday, triple Olympian Mansfield said: "As far as I am concerned, this latest move from the ISA is purely a damage limitation exercise. I am happy to see Anthony O'Leary and the other resigned committee members return to the committee, as I have always found these people to be reasonable and open-minded.

"However, there have been what I believe (to be) a litany of errors and incorrect decisions made in connection with the Star selection which need to be addressed.

"I would be hoping that the OCI can continue to intervene and put an objective eye over the constantly changing Athens selection process."