Two of Ireland's top swimmers, Andrew Bree and Steven Manley, have expressed their extreme disappointment at not being selected for the next month's Olympics and will consider not swimming for Ireland in the future.
Both missed out on qualifying times but still hoped to go to Athens at the discretion of the Olympic Council of Ireland. Bree won a silver medal in the 200 metres breaststroke in the 2003 European Short Course Championships at the National Aquatic Centre, Abbotstown.
Manley told BBC Online it was a kick in the teeth to be rejected for the Olympics and that he will consider not swimming for Ireland in October's World Championships. Meanwhile, Bree, who lives in Helen's Bay in Co Down, will consider swimming for Britain according to his father.
Barney Bree, a member of the Swim Ireland board, said his son was so upset he didn't want to talk about the Olympics.
"At least with the British set-up you know where you stand when it comes to qualification," said Barney Bree in today's Newsletter. "They have 30 swimmers going to the Games and Ireland have two. That cannot be right.
"We have three swimmers in Andrew, Steven and Julie Douglas who have rewritten the record books and yet are not picked to represent Ireland."
Manley, who is a freestyle specialist from Dublin, was also angry at the OCI's decision to insist upon 'A' targets for the first time when many other countries still use the 'B' Standard for Olympic qualification..
"At this moment I feel I never want to swim for Ireland again," said Manley who recently set national records at 800 and 1500 metres.
Swim Ireland stated their frustrations with the OCI: "If the decision was up to Swim Ireland we would most definitely have a larger team in Athens, unfortunately the final decision is made by the OCI who in their wisdom are insisting on "A" times only".
"Swim Ireland are disappointed particularly for Andrew [Bree], the current European short course silver medalist and Stephen [Manley]. Bree's ommision is quite astonishing given that he was second best in Europe over 200 metres breaststroke in the short course tests just a few short months ago.
"The Tennessee based Ulster man, training ever since, can rest assured that he has set up yet another first in Irish swimming by not being selected as a leading European competitor," the statement read.
Emma Robinson and Michael Williamson are the only swimmers selected to represent Ireland in Athens.