This week's Sports Council allocation of nearly £90,000 for sailing's elite athletes has provided a further boost to the Olympic team but has excluded Ireland's disabled crew, who have qualified for the Sydney paralympics.
Though ranked as one of the top four Irish sportswomen in the country, the odds are that Maria Coleman is not a household name but all that, according to sailing officials, could change with Olympic success that has been brought a step closer this week with a grant allocation that puts the Europe single-handed sailor on a par with runners Sonia O'Sullivan and Catriona McKiernan.
This month's issue of the world rankings has put the 33-year-old Coleman in fourth place and the significance of the upward climb has not escaped Irish officials who this year will invest a total of £91,170 in her campaign.
It is a financial commitment that, they believe, will make her the strongest chance of an Olympic medal since the 1980 silver won by David Wilkins and Jamie Wilkinson.
A year ago, Coleman, from Baltimore, Co Cork, was ranked 18th in the ISAF rankings for the single-handed women's Europe Class. Since then she has competed at the front end of every regatta - 12th in Hyeres, 13th in Kiel, sixth in Spa and 15th at the European Championships.
She finished sixth in the Olympic practice regatta in Sydney in September and fourth in the Sydney international regatta in December, tied third but losing out in the tie-breaker. She recorded another top 10 result in the World Championships in Brazil at the end of January.
Coleman, currently training in New Zealand, said yesterday the £18,000 allocation has enabled her to enter Olympic year with potential and confidence especially through the provision of much needed coaching. She also pointed to the National Coaching and Training Centre's fitness programme which she said has led to an improvement in her overall fitness and, more importantly, through their advice, kept her injury free for over a year.
Meanwhile, ISA officials have made representations to the Sports Council yesterday to redress the anomalous situation that has left qualified wheelchair sailors without any grant allocation.
John Twomey, skipper of the three-man crew, yesterday expressed his disappointment at being left out of the allocation.
The ISA explained that Twomey's exclusion was due to a procedural oversight and it is understood that the Sports Council will look at the disabled crew's case.
His campaign until the Paralympic Games will cost £130,000 and apart from commercial sponsorship from Aer Lingus and ICC Bank, the team are assessing how they will finance the rest of the campaign that saw them qualify for the games at last year's World Championships in 10th place.
Northern Ireland is to have a full-scale, professionally organised Boat Show in the Kings Hall, Balmoral, from March 9th to 12th. British yachtsman Tony Bullimore, best known for his epic rescue in January 1997, where he survived three days in a capsized boat in the Southern Ocean, will open the show that will have over 50 exhibitors.
