Peace move in gear war

The Olympic Council of Ireland (OCI) yesterday made the first step in resolving the controversial issue of team clothing for next year's Sydney Olympics by writing to the national athletics body, Bord Luthcleas na hEireann (BLE), seeking a discussion on the matter.

This move follows the request earlier in the week from the Minister for Sport, Dr Jim McDaid, that both organisations should meet as soon as possible in order to sort out the issue well in advance of the Games.

The Minister had written to both sides expressing his hope that the matter would be satisfactorily resolved but as "the OCI is responsible for the management of the Irish team at the Olympic Games, the onus is on the OCI to take the initiative in the matter".

It is now hoped that the OCI can set up a meeting with BLE within the next few weeks. "This is something we had intended to do anyway," said a spokesperson for the OCI. "It's always our interest to make sure the athlete is best served and the concern now is getting the issue off our agenda. We appreciate the importance that Ireland avoids this issue of gear on the world stage."

It was at the Atlanta Olympics three years ago that the problem of which brand of gear athletes should wear in competition resulted in the embarrassing situation for both the OCI and BLE, most significantly when Sonia O'Sullivan was forced to change her racing kit just minutes before her 5,000-metre final.

BLE, who had a contract with the brand Asics, which carries through to the end of the year 2000, argued that since they were the governing body for athletics, athletes had to wear their branded gear. The OCI had a separate contract with Reebok, which was the official kit of the Irish Olympic team, and was worn by all members in the opening ceremony.

The issue, however, has always been a grey area between the International Olympic Committee and the International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF) although the IAAF are expected to clear up the confusion at their congress prior to the World Championships in Seville at the end of August.

Last July, the OCI had invited the minister to take over the sponsorship of the Irish team gear for Sydney in order to defuse a potentially difficult situation between the OCI and BLE.

That move was turned down on the basis that the Minister felt it wouldn't be appropriate to divert Government funding from sport where substantial private sponsorship was available. Earlier this year a sponsorship deal was set with adidas Ireland, the details of which will be announced at a press conference today.