The Olympic Council of Ireland (OCI) has invited former Olympic gold medallist Ronnie Delany to Sydney for the 2000 games. Delany, the last Irish athlete to win a track gold medal, won the 1,500 metres in front of a capacity 120,000 crowd in the Melbourne Cricket Club ground in December 1956.

"It is a delightful invitation. I am very proud to be part of the Irish team and I'm quite chuffed really," he said this week. "I wouldn't presume to act as an adviser to the contemporary athletes unless I was asked. In that case I would be only too delighted. I hope my presence might act as some sort of inspiration - and I say that modestly."

Delany continues to remain in touch with the athletes he competed against 54 years ago and lists John Landy, Herb Elliot and Dawn Fraser as friends. The capacity of the new stadium in Sydney will be around 100,000, some 50,000 people less than when Ireland's only metric mile gold medallist won his award.