Ireland will send a team of four athletes to the Winter Olympics in Turin next month but the travelling party could yet increase to six by Monday.
Alpine skiers Kirsty McGarry (Dublin), Thos Foley (Kerry) and Rory Morrish (Cork) are joined by Wicklow’s David Connolly who achieved qualification in the Skeleton discipline earlier this week.
But there is still a possibility that sisters Siobhan and Aoife Hoey from Portarlington could yet qualify for the women’s Bobsleigh.
At present, the duo are ranked 16th in Olympic qualification but only the top 15 teams compete. However, should a team withdraw, perhaps through injury, ahead of competition the Irish duo would replace them.
While the four confirmed athletes are busy preparing in Italy, the two sisters are sitting by the telephone in their Dublin apartment awaiting developments from their rivals’ training runs at Cesana Pariol.
A decision one way or the other is due by Monday at the latest.
"It must be heartbreaking for them to be in this position but, even if they don’t make it, they can hold their heads high for a very valiant and brave effort," Olympic Council of Ireland president Pat Hickey said.
Clifton Wrottesley, who took the 2002 Salt Lake City games by storm when finishing fourth for Ireland in the kamikaze-style skeleton event, leads the Irish team as chef de mission.
The games take place from February 10th to 26th and Ireland are one of 75 teams. Some 2,500 athletes will compete in 15 disciplines.