Three relay teams to be nominated

The Athletics Association of Ireland yesterday confirmed that three relay squads will be nominated for the Sydney Olympics following the achievement of A-standard qualifying times at the weekend's European Cup. Both the men's 4x100 and 4x400 metres teams and the women's 4x400 dipped under the official IAAF standards while competing at their respective group competitions.

Victory in both the men's events in Kaunas, Lithuania helped the Irish team gain promotion from the second league - making up for the disappointing relegation last year. By finishing second overall to Belarus (132 points to 125), the Irish clinched one of the two promotion berths and are guaranteed more challenging competition next season.

The 4x100 metre time of 39.90 seconds was just inside the official 40.00 seconds A-standard set by the IAAF - although there is no B-standard in the relay events. The team, which comprised Donal McCarthy (Leevale), Paul Brizzell (Ballymena and Antrim), Gary Ryan (Nenagh) and John McAdory (Ballymena and Antrim), is not necessarily that which will be nominated by the AAI as alterations may be made based on the achievements of athletes in their individual events.

Brizzell, for example, has already achieved the A-standard in the 200 metres and is certain of selection. But the actual team, including the naming of a reserve runner, won't be finalised until closer to the Games.

The 4x400 metre squad were slightly more comfortable in achieving the standard. The quartet of Tomas Coman (Templemore), Gary Ryan, Tom McGuirk (Dublin City Harriers) and Paul McKee (Cuchulainn AC) recorded a time of three minutes 6.07 seconds - well inside the 3:07.00 mark.

The women's team - Australian-born Adrian McIvor, Susan Walsh (Waterford AC), Martina McCarthy (Athenry AC) and Karen Shinkins (Dublin City Harriers) - who finished third in their race, were even more secure. Their time of 3:33.20 was nearly three seconds inside the 3:36.00 mark.

The relay teams join the 10 individual athletes who have already achieved A-standard qualifying times for Sydney this year but under the rules agreed between the IAAF and the International Olympic Committee, performances achieved since January 1st 1999 will also be accepted - increasing the number of Irish individual athletes qualified to 20.

A number of conflicts remain, however, between the qualifying criteria of the AAI and the Olympic Council of Ireland (OCI). The AAI have stated that they will only nominate athletes with qualifying standards achieved after January 1st 2000 - unless the athlete has "exceptional circumstances" to be selected from a performance in 1999. In addition, the AAI plan to nominate athletes with B-standards under the IAAF rule which states that one athlete per event can be entered with the B-standard - providing no athlete in the same event has achieved the A-standard.

The Olympic Council of Ireland, meanwhile, are standing by their decision made three years ago that only athletes with A-standards will be selected (they feel the B-standard is too low), but those marks can be achieved within the January 1st 1999 timescale. But the OCI also has an "exceptional circumstance" rule whereby athletes with B-standards may be selected.

Pat Hickey, president of the OCI, stated yesterday that the national Olympic body has always been consistent in its selection criteria. "We said back in 1997 that we felt the B-standard was too low but that we would be open to hear exceptional cases," he said. "Otherwise we accept the agreement between the IAAF and the IOC regarding qualifying standards and it's also up to the OCI to ultimately select and enter the athletes for Sydney."

According to the AAI's international secretary, Christy Wall, they will only be submitting performances from this year but there will also be exceptional cases such as 110 metre hurdler Peter Coghlan, who was one of the highest ranked athletes in the world last year but has yet to race this season due to injury. "The nomination process will be tricky," said Wall, "but under the Olympic charter the athletes must be nominated by us." Hickey also stated yesterday that it now appears certain that the OCI be will selecting a number of swimmers for Sydney on the basis of B-standards - despite the situation where no one so far has even achieved an A-standard.

"I think it's fair to say that there are very special circumstances with the absence of funding for so long," he said. "We feel that Ireland has to have a swimming representation at the Olympics but the sport in this country has been kicked in the head in recent years."