Only 13 shopping days until Christmas, only 603 training days until Rio. They may not appear like similarly pressing countdowns, although it could be that some Irish athletes are actually better prepared for the next Olympics than they are for this Christmas.
The Government has just come up with an extra €1 million in spending money to help the 18 sporting bodies with athletes most likely to qualify for Rio, and in some cases that money is already spent.
It is anticipated that the majority of Irish participants in Rio will qualify over the next 12 months, rather than in 2016, and two sports – sailing and horse jumping – have already secured qualifying places.
With that in mind the €1 million is being distributed now, rather than later. The 18 bodies to benefit include athletics (€138,008), rowing (€96,814), hockey (€71,325), sailing (€70,000) and rugby (€62,100).
The rugby money is going directly the women’s sevens team in their quest to make Rio, where the sport will make its first appearance since 1924.
Paralympics Ireland is also getting an extra €188,154 to assist their preparations for the Rio Paralympics, which take place in September 2016.
The Olympic Council of Ireland is also getting an extra €72,000 to help set up pre-Olympic training camps.
On the ground
Ireland’s main training and holding camp prior to Rio is already booked, at a new resort in
Uberlândia
, about 400 miles northwest of Rio.
"We've already got one person on the ground out there, an Irishman, who's been living in Uberlândia the last 30 years," says Ireland's chef de mission for Rio, Kevin Kilty.
According to Paul McDermott, the Irish Sport Council’s director of high performance, most of the extra €1 million for Rio is already effectively spent.
“We got word, after the Budget in October, of this additional €1 million, so we went back to the performance plans for each sport, and asked them where they could use this in their fixed plans for 2015. But they had to be ready to spend it, for training camps, travel, and qualifying opportunities.
“It certainly takes some pressure off for next year. Athletics Ireland, we know, are spending it on a team training camp in Florida next spring.”
