ATLANTA'S hopes of putting the many hitches encountered during the Olympics behind them and staging a trouble free Paralympics seemed to be fading yesterday as initial reports from the Games, in which competition starts this afternoon, hinted at the recurrence of many of the same problems suffered by competitors a fortnight ago.

Once again the city's organisational skills are being compared unfavourably with those of Barcelona four years ago, with difficulties already arising in the areas of catering, transport, accommodation and communications.

It is hoped, though, that once the competitors begin to disperse from the village to their various venues that the organising committee, which is entirely different from the one which co ordinated the Olympics, will begin to get to grips with the task ahead.

Ireland have sent 64 competitors, assisted by 28 staff members, to the Games in which more than 3,000 athletes from 126 countries will compete. And although the emphasis on winning may not be quite as great as it was amongst the stars earlier in the month, there are several members of the team who will be strong contenders to pick up medals over the next nine days.

In the wheelchair events, there will be 41 Irish in action, with Sean O'Grady from Limerick and Dubliner Grainne Barrett Condon in the shot putt among the leading contenders to make an impression.

O'Grady, in particular, will be keen to make up for the disappointment he suffered in Barcelona when he only missed out on the bronze by a single centimetre. He will draw confidence from a silver picked up in the European championships, although the strength of the home team on this occasion may prove frustrating.

Gerry Dunne, in the swimming, and Gareth Cullaton, in the pentathlon, are also medal prospects.

In the blind sports section, there will be a small but strong Ireland side, with nine competitors taking part in judo, equestrian and athletics.

Donegal's Bridie Lynch has been one of our outstanding international athletes; four years ago in Spain she took silver in both pentathlon and discus.

Since coming third in the discus at the Europeans in 1983, Lynch has been highly consistent performer for Ireland, and when the track and field events get under way tomorrow she will be anxious to take the one major honour that has eluded her over the past 13 years - a gold in the Paralympics.

One man from the wheelchair section whose medal winning days are probably behind him is Michael Cunningham - a former gold medallist in the javelin - who has also managed top three finishes in his current event, table tennis.

Cunningham, from Sutton in Dublin, first competed in the Games at Munich when he was just 17, and won his gold in Canada four years later. His first round match this time, which is expected to take place on Tuesday or Wednesday of next week, will mark the start of his seventh Paralympics campaign.