A round-up of today's other stories in brief
RTÉ to provide 13 hours a day of coverage from London 2012
RTÉ television’s will broadcast the London Olympics for an average of 13 hours per day. Coverage begins with the opening ceremony on Friday, July 27th. Across the platforms of television, radio and the internet, the broadcaster has promised 2,300 hours, or 96 days, of coverage from the 28th Olympiad up to the closing ceremony on Sunday, August 12th.
Coverage on RTÉ Two will begin at 9.30am every morning, with Peter Collins hosting until 1pm before Michael Lyster (weekdays) and Tracy Piggott (weekends) take over until 4pm.
Darragh Maloney will then take the baton until 7pm, before Bill O’Herlihy runs the anchor leg late into the evening.
Jimmy Magee, a veteran broadcaster of 11 Games, will lead a 12-man commentary team.
Ireland will be represented in 14 disciplines and expert analysis will be provided by the likes of boxer Kenneth Egan, runner David Gillick, former Olympic shot-putter and Ireland rugby international Victor Costello and swimmer Andrew Bree.
Online, at www.rte.ie/olympics, RTÉ "plans to offer users up to 12 high-definition video streams each day", while users will also be able to stream the "television and radio output".
Those outside the country will still be able to follow domestic television coverage "via the EBU's (European Broadcasting Union) Olympic Portal at www.eurovisionsports.tv/london2012."
– CARL O’MALLEY
OCI confirm appeals process to decide women's relay team
The Olympic Council of Ireland have confirmed that an appeal process will decide the final selection of the women’s 4x400 metres relay team for London, although the exact details of this won’t be known until later today.
Athletics Ireland had been asked for why they first named Catriona Cuddihy among the six-woman team, only then to replace her with Joanna Mills, who successfully appealed this original selection last weekend.
It is understood that all six members of the relay team will be asked to submit information which may decide the outcome of the appeal, and whether or not the OCI will accept Athletics Ireland’s nomination of Mills, or decide that Cuddihy is entitled to her position on the team.
Saudi Arabian women to compete
Saudi Arabia is to send female athletes to the Olympics for the first time, with a judoka and an 800m runner representing the kingdom in London, the International Olympic Committee said yesterday.
Wodjan Ali Seraj Abdulrahim Shahrkhani, who will compete in the 78-kg category in judo, and teenager Sarah Attar will be the first Saudi women ever to take part after talks between the IOC and the country.
“This is very positive news and we will be delighted to welcome these two athletes in London in a few weeks’ time,” said IOC President Jacques Rogge in a statement. “The IOC has been striving to ensure a greater gender balance at the Olympic Games, and today’s news can be seen as an encouraging evolution.”
The decision means that every country competing in the July 27th-August 12th Olympics will be represented by both male and female athletes. At the Atlanta Games in 1996, 26 nations sent no female athletes, the figure falling to just three in Beijing in 2008.
Camelot's derby exploits earn O'Brien top award for June
Aidan O’Brien has been named Philips manager of the month for June following Camelot’s victory in the Epsom Derby, which gave the Ballydoyle trainer his fourth British classic win of the season.
The victory also made him and son Joseph the first father/son trainer/jockey combination ever to win the race.
Camelot completed a double at the end of the month when the colt came home first in the Irish Derby at the Curragh in difficult racing conditions.
Success at the St Leger at Doncaster in September, should he run, would see Camelot become the first horse since Nijinsky in 1970 to capture the triple crown of Guineas, Derby and St Leger.
It would also give O’Brien a clean sweep of this season’s English classics following the earlier successes of Camelot in the 2,000 Guineas, Homecoming Queen in the 1,000 Guineas and Was in the Epsom Oaks.
Irish Hockey CEO Kirkland leaving
Irish Hockey is to lose chief executive Angus Kirkland to the European Hockey Federation. He will take over from Avoca man David Balbirnie. Balbirnie, who held the job for two decades, will step down as honorary general secretary at the end of the year, with Kirkland taking up his position in Brussels in October.
It means Ireland will be rudderless on a number of fronts as men’s national coach Paul Revington and women’s boss Gene Muller are also leaving. Revington is to take up a role with the Malaysian national side after the Olympic Games.
The timing is not good as the World Hockey League, a new competition, is set to kick off this autumn. Since Revington took over in January 2009, Ireland moved from 18th to 15th in the world. They missed out on a place at the Olympics after Korea scored a winner with seconds left in the final of the qualifying competition, held in Dublin. The women’s team also narrowly missed out on a place in London 2012.
– JOHNNY WATTERSON
