Sir, - Colin Lowth, the Irish Olympic swimmer, has been unfairly criticised for not devoting a year to full-time swimming in preparation for the Olympic Games.
Colin has just completed his final year in the Business, Economics and Social Studies faculty in Trinity College. He has, in a rigorously disciplined way and at some considerable cost to himself, combined his academic work with the strict regime demanded of international swimmers. His final selection for the Olympics came only a few weeks before the Irish squad left for Sydney. He was therefore in no position to plan ahead one year in advance of the Games, and, if he had been, where would he have found the major financial support required for a year's full-time coaching, training and competition?
Colin is a splendid young man whom we in Trinity College have been proud to assist in his sporting career. However, only modest funds are available from the university sports budget for individual athletes of his calibre.
This controversy makes two things clear. Young athletes with Olympic potential need to be identified at least one year in advance of the Games and then the total cost of one year's full-time coaching, training and competition must be financed by the state. Ireland in this respect lags far behind other member countries of the European Union. A start should be made by providing the requisite finance to send a full Irish squad to the World Student Games which are staged every two years and are now recognised as a mini-Olympics. - Yours, etc.,
Trevor West, Chairman, Dublin University Central Athletic Club, Dublin 2.