OCI will co-operate in Irish review

The Olympic Council of Ireland (OCI) said yesterday they would fully co-operate with the external consultants who are to investigate relations in Irish Olympic sport over the next eight weeks.

The British team have been asked to look into the strained relations that exist between the various bodies and agencies that were involved in Ireland's preparations for the Sydney Olympics.

The consultants have been brought in at the request of the Irish Sports Council (ISC), who yesterday named three individuals who have worked closely with the highly successful British Olympic Association (BOA).

The BOA were able to turn one gold medal at Atlanta into their most successful Olympics at Sydney.

The project manager is Mark England, who was selected by the BOA as a consultant for Team GB at the Olympic Games' holding camp on the Gold Coast in Australia prior to the start of the competition.

He is joined by project consultant David Henwood, former senior manager to the UK Sports Council, and Kevin Hickey, a consultant to the International Olympic Committee.

Through a review committee, they expect to interview all parties concerned with the 2000 Games.

All aspects of the "Sydney Experience" are to be reviewed, including the roles of the ISC, the athletes, the sports federations and the OCI.

The Minister for Tourism, Recreation and Sport, Dr Jim McDaid, has "specifically asked that there be a particular focus on the relationships that should exist between the various bodies and agencies involved in the preparation and participation of the team".

Which indicates that the views of the OCI will be some of the first sought.

"We had a meeting with the minister 10 days ago and we will fully co-operate," said an OCI spokesman. "We understand that the review will be published at the end of January."

The relationship between the ISC, McDaid and the National Coaching and Training Centre on the one hand, and the OCI on the other, has been fractious before, during and after the Sydney Olympics.

"You don't need to be a rocket scientist to work out that there were problems (between the ISC and the OCI) even before Sydney," said the chief executive of the ISC, John Treacy.

"As part of the terms of reference, the review committee will be tackling all of the issues that have arisen over Sydney. In an ideal world you would be striving for co-operation all round.

"We've already had a meeting with the OCI and the purpose of that was to review Sydney. It is up to Mark (England) and Finbar (Costello, chairman) to sit down with the OCI and talk about various issues.

The investigation will also involve comparisons with other countries, particularly those who performed successfully in Sydney as compared to Atlanta, and will include written reports, where appropriate, from all the key players.

"It is important that every athlete in Sydney should express their view," said England. "It is also vital that the president of the OCI should express his view at the earliest opportunity."

The independent chairman of the review committee, Finbar Costello, added that they were beginning the job without bias for or against any of the organisations involved, including the Sports Council on whose invitation they are undertaking the task.

"The working group will be unbiased," said Costello. "At the end of the day the brief is to create the environment so that athletes can perform to the best of their ability at Olympic Games."

Costello is chairman of the UCD Sports Development Trust and former chairman and managing director of Irish International Advertising Group.

The other members of the review committee are John Treacy; the Provost of Jordanstown, Ann Tate; and ISC member and Olympian rower Neville Maxwell.

The committee will report its findings, conclusions and recommendations by January 31st, 2001, and the contents will be made public.

Main points

Examine the performance of key players in preparation, selection and support of Olympic team.

Examine the relationship between the various bodies.

Appropriateness and effectiveness of procedures, arrangements and schemes applied to Olympic team.

Identify factors which affected team performance.

Report before January 31st, 2001