Officials of the Olympic Council of Ireland said yesterday that monies designated for Sydney 2000, will now be used to fund the participation of a team in the Winter Olympics at the Japanese resort of Nagano next month.
It follows the refusal of the Irish Sports Council to recommend government funding for the team and the OCI's inability to attract commercial sponsorship.
A spokesman for the OCI reiterated criticism of the Irish Sports Council's decision but added that they were continuing their efforts to find a suitable sponsor.
Ireland will be represented in the two-man bobsleigh championship by two crews. Geoff Pamplin and Terry McHugh will be in one team with Peter Donohue joining Simon Linscheid in the other partnership. Together with Gary Power and Nessan O'Carroll, this quartet will be in contention for places in the team to compete in the four-man event.
Patrick Schwarzacher-Joyce, born in Austria of an Irish mother, will be the first Irish skier to take part in the Downhill, Combined and Super G championships. The squad will be accompanied by Chef de Mission, Pat McDonagh.
