ATHLETICS: In an effort to rekindle some glimmer of hope of fulfilling her Olympic dream, Maria McCambridge yesterday made personal contact with the Olympic Council of Ireland (OCI) requesting that it consider her for selection for the Athens Games, despite the organisation already ruling her out.

Last Saturday, the Dundrum athlete ran inside the A standard over 5,000 metres, but the OCI had set July 20th as their cut-off date for qualification. Earlier this week a request by Athletics Ireland to have McCambridge added to the team fell on deaf ears, the OCI insisting there would no further extensions to that deadline.

McCambridge put her personal request to OCI president Pat Hickey, hoping her case could still be deemed exceptional enough to warrant her inclusion. Under IAAF guidelines the cut-off point for athletes being entered for the Games is midnight next Monday.

Word from Hickey is expected within two days.