ATHLETICS: The Athletes Commission of the Olympic Council of Ireland (OCI), which was ostensibly set up last year to foster communications between current and active athletes and the OCI and to serve as a source of opinion and advice to the OCI executive, was yesterday denied access to the OCI annual general meeting in Dublin last night.

The decision to exclude the commission was based on the OCI's contention that it (Athletes Commission) was "deemed not to have been properly constituted and therefore there is no athletes commission in existence".

In addition, the OCI said that "in view of the failure of those representing the proposed athletes' commission to comply with the executive committee's terms of reference and adopt the constitution . . . in the form set out . . . the defunct OCI Athletes Commission cannot be represented at the a.g.m.".

Paul Donovan, secretary of the athletes' body and a former Olympic track athlete at the Los Angeles and Barcelona Games, arrived at the Burlington Hotel to represent athletes but was denied admission at the door.

The dispute may now go to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne, Switzerland.

"We are keeping all options open at the moment," said Donovan. "We have our own a.g.m. on September 21st. Part of that meeting will be devoted to a discussion about this issue of taking our case to CAS.

"What is particularly sad and shocking about this is that here we are two years after the Sydney Olympics and the Athletes Commission cannot even get in the door of the a.g.m."

Donovan added that the athletes do not recognise or accept that the commission is defunct.

Pat Hickey, president of the OCI, read a statement before the a.g.m. began.

"As a result of a letter written by a member of the Athletes Commission legal advice was sought . . . and legal action is now being taken," the statement said.

Hickey claimed that, as a result, the matter was sub judice and therefore no more discussion about it could take place.

In a show of solidarity with the athletes, a number of delegates walked out of the meeting. Paddy Boyd, the secretary general of the Irish Sailing Association, Brendan O'Connell, president of the Irish Canoe Union, and Debbie Massey, chief executive of the Irish Basketball Association, left just after a.g.m. business began.

"When we couldn't raise the issue of the athletes exclusion from the meeting without being told any of the information surrounding the disbandment of the commission, we felt then that they (the athletes) were not being represented," said a spokesperson for the group.

In other business, Willie O'Brien (archery) was selected as chef de mission for the Olympic Games in Athens 2004.