The Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation, Dr James McDaid, yesterday defended his decision not to hold a reception for Michelle Smith de Bruin in Dublin Airport when she returns from the European Championships in Seville next week.

"On becoming Minister," he said in a statement, "I decided that I would not become involved in these receptions. My main reason was that I felt that it was mainly the athletes themselves who resented what they saw as opportunistic bandwagoning . . . Michelle alone deserves the limelight."