ATHLETICS:The Olympic Council of Ireland (OCI) has averted the only potential controversy in the athletics qualifying standards for next year's Beijing Olympics by re-adjusting the men's and women's marathon qualifying times, along with the men's 50km walk.

Earlier this year, when announcing full details of the Beijing qualifying criteria, the OCI and Athletics Ireland had agreed more difficult standards in those three events, arguing that they needed to be brought in line with all other events.

However, that was criticised by athletes and coaches involved in those same events, who counter-argued that their task of qualification was being made more difficult than the rest.

The discrepancy is now sorted as all A-standards for Beijing are those stipulated by the IAAF - which in the case of the men's marathon is 2:15.00, the women's marathon 2:37.00, and the men's 50km walk 4:00.00. Previously those standards had been set by Athletics Ireland at 2:12.0 for men, 2:29.30 for women, and 3:57.00 for the men's 50km walk.

In agreeing the changes, Dermot Henihan, chef de Mission of the Irish Olympic team for Beijing, said the introduction of the new standards would bring Ireland in line with most other countries and would be more "athlete friendly".

"It also means that several aspiring Olympians have a better chance of qualifying for the Beijing Games," he added, "and we look forward to having a strong athletics squad as an important part of the Irish team in China"

Irish athletes have until July 21st of next year (or June 16th in the case of all road and track events over 10,000 metres) to achieve the qualification marks, with only the A-standards being accepted.

Just last weekend two Irish athletes achieved Olympic walk qualifying standards, with Colin Griffin clocking 3.51.33 to win a 50km in a European permit meeting in Dudinsk, Slovakia. It also improved the previous Irish best performance that stood to Olympian Jamie Costin at 3:53.58.

Rob Heffernan has clocked 81:50 for 20km in the IAAF Grand Prix in Shenzhen, China, again an A-standard for both the Osaka World Championships in August and the Beijing Olympics.

Already qualified so far this year are David Gillick (men's 400 metres) and Olive Loughnane (women's 20km walk).