EQUESTRIAN SPORT: Eventing is virtually certain to remain in the Olympic movement, but in a reduced form.The IOC's programme commission had earlier recommended its expulsion.

However, Olympic Council of Ireland president Pat Hickey, while confirming that eventing would be retained in the games, was critical of the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) for its haste in offering sweeping concessions to the IOC.

"It's like playing poker and they've shown their hand before they needed to," said Hickey, referring to the FEI's proposal of a shortened format which was put to the IOC last month. "I've spoken to Jacques Rogge (the IOC president) about this and I don't see any danger of eventing going out, but it will be under the new formula from 2012 on," he said.

A final decision on the programme commission's recommendations, due to be made at the IOC session in Mexico at the end of this month, has been deferred to the mid-2003 meeting in Prague, following a backlash from the sports facing expulsion.

Ireland's national federation, the EFI, was the only dissenting voice when the 130 members of the international body backed the proposal to reduce the Olympic three-day event to a CIC format - effectively a one-day event run over three days without either the steeplechase or roads and tracks phases on cross-country day.

EFI president Avril Doyle had opposed the FEI proposal, saying last month: "You shouldn't start negotiations by making your greatest concession."

"In my opinion, Avril Doyle was right," Hickey said yesterday, going on to reveal none of the other three sports and seven disciplines proposed for removal from the Olympic movement had made any concessions.

"Mexico would have been an explosive meeting," Hickey said. "There were too many things on the table, so they've decided to diffuse it all by putting it back to next year. There will be a lot of wheeling and dealing done between now and June."