Cuddihy, Not Mills, Will Go To Olympics

Teenage athlete Joanna Mills has been disappointed again after her last-minute bid to win a place on Ireland's Olympic squad failed.

Catriona Cuddihy successfully appealed to the Olympic Council of Ireland against her de-selection from the 4x400m relay team.

Cuddihy had been selected over Mills in the six-woman squad but lost her place when Athletics Ireland upheld Mills's appeal.

But now that decision has been overturned by a tribunal who ruled, just days before the London 2012 Olympic Games begin, that the initial selection of Cuddihy was correct based on all available criteria.

Mills ran times of 54.17 and 54.52 at the World Junior Championships in Barcelona where she reached the semi-finals.

On July 2 at the original Olympics selection, Cuddihy had a personal best of 54.59 which was .18 seconds slower than Mills's then-seasonal best.

Following her latest setback, Mills is consulting with lawyers over whether to go further down the appeals road.

She may decide to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

John Foley, chief executive of Athletics Ireland, said: "We have to acknowledge that the past three weeks has been enormously difficult for the athletes involved in this appeal process, their families, supporters and friends. At this point however there is a final decision as to selection and we believe that it is now in the interests of all that we focus our attention on the Games themselves."

(NE)