James Nolan takes his fitness very seriously. As Ireland's leading 800 metre runner, he has the impossible job of combining the speed of a sprinter and the endurance of a distance runner. His body is a finely-tuned engine, and toxins such as alcohol wouldn't even be given a whiff.

Still, his Olympic preparations don't come cheap and he was delighted when Tullamore Dew stepped in this week with a special sponsorship deal to help his build-up to Sydney. Being a Tullamore man himself, Nolan was particularly pleased with the support but of course the deal certainly doesn't require him to show up at each meeting taking a sip of the whiskey.

What it will do is provide some extra financial assistance to Nolan as he chases times on the European Grand Prix circuit in the coming weeks. He promises to keep all his samples of the Dew sealed up until after Sydney.