Warring factions in kit crisis

Athletics: THE Olympic Council of Ireland (OCI) and the Athletics Association of Ireland (AAI) will meet before Christmas over the growing crisis surrounding what brand of kit Irish track and field athletes will wear during the Sydney Olympics next September, writes Johnny Watterson.

In an effort to resolve the issue, which came to a humiliating climax at the Atlanta Games of 1996 when Sonia O'Sullivan was stopped in the tunnel before her race and told to change her kit, the two bodies will come together in an effort to find common ground. The bad relations between the two organisations is compounded by the fact that the OCI refuse to accept the newly-founded athletics governing body as a bona fide member of the Olympic family. Their assertion is that the AAI have not gone through the correct procedures to be affiliated.

"I do know that the OCI and Athletics Association will be meeting in the next few days. It will be before Christmas," said AAI official and athletics Olympic team manager Patsy McGonagle.

Some small but positive moves have already been made to bring the two bodies together. McGonagle has recently returned from an extended trip to Sydney with OCI members, including Willie O'Brien and Billy Kennedy, where they surveyed various sites. One of those sites at Newcastle, located two hours north of Sydney, is where the Irish team will prepare. McGonagle has recommended that the track and field athletes join the rest of the Irish team at this venue. Prior to Atlanta, the athletes did not join the rest of the Irish team.

Hockey: One of England's leading players Russell Garcia has been banned for three months after admitting taking cocaine. The former British Olympic gold medallist underwent an out-of-competition doping test by UK Sport on November 29th, and his three-month ban starts from the start of the temporary suspension which began two days later.

Prior to taking the test, Garcia admitted to coaching staff that he had taken cocaine and was immediately suspended from the British Olympic training squad.

Garcia, who has won over 200 English caps and 100 British caps, was part of the Sean Kerly-inspired side which won the gold medal at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul.