Winter Olympics - Irish Bobsleigh team messed about

You would think that an organisation as big as the Olympics could sort out their arrangements! Not so - the Irish 2-Woman Bobsleigh team slogged their way through the qualification process and made the last (20th)qualification spot. No mean achievement when you consider the quality and availability of bobsleigh tracks in Ireland, i.e. NONE!

So well done and pack your bags - you're heading for Whistler. But not so fast, the Austrian team pull out and Japan the next team in the qualification rankings are invited to replace them. So technically Ireland are now 19th of the 20 qualifiers. Up steps Australia who failed to qualify. They raise objections within the past week on the basis that all Continents apart from Australasia are represented and that this is contrary to the Olympic charter - they argue, strongly, that as Europe is overepresented, the lowest ranking European team, i.e. Ireland, should be turfed out to make room for them! The matter is referred to the International Court of Arbitration. Thankfully, they decide that Ireland should remain in the competition but allow Australia to be added to the list of starters.

At this stage, you would think the Irish team could relax and prepare for the biggest sporting event of their lives and before you snigger consider whether you would be prepared to hurl down the track at speeds of over 140kph!

But no, now the Brazilians, another famous Bobsleighing nation, decide that they have a grievance and lodge a complaint literally a couple of days before the Olympics is due to start. They are also seeking the elimination to the Irish to make room for them (don't know what we have done to offend all these great bobsleighing nations). And so, the Irish girls must wait another few days to be sure that their Olympic dream is not shattered.

Not the ideal way to prepare for a major sporting event but certainly no way to run a sport!

I think that would have given them all the incentive they need to compete, there's nothing like the determination of an underdog, good luck to um I say :wink:

Being married to an Irish lady and with my 3 children consistently telling me that they're Irish (despite being born here they all hold Irish passports instead lol!) the Irish team have my full support, and as has already been seen on the forum there's a good craic in bobsleigh ...