Vancouver 2010

Ireland's womens bobsleigh team will compete in a 21 team event at 17.00 Canadian time, February 23rd at the Whistler sliding centre. The team complete two runs on the evening of the 23rd, followed by two runs on the 24th.

Pat Shannon finished an excellent 25th in the men's skeleton event in his first Olympic Games after a great run in heat 3.

Boosted by a series of fan blogs and Facebook sites, many linked to hundreds of messages of congratulations and support from Irish people all over the world, Ireland's women's bobsleigh team of Aoife Hoey and Claire Bergin, along with alternate brakewoman Leona Byrne, are getting ready for the races of a lifetime at the Whistler Sliding Track next week (Feb 23 and 24).

Pat Shannon finished an excellent 25th in the men's skeleton event in his first Olympic Games after a great run in heat 3.

Ireland's Pat Shannon sits in 27th place after his first two runs in the men's skeleton event at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver.

PJ Barron reflects on his first Olympic Games, having competed in 15km cross country event in Whistler. Its an event that is highly technical and endurance based. Barron is a 21 year student. Most athletes reach their prime in their late twenties, early thirties.

Ireland's male slalom skier at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, Shane O'Connor, from Malahide produced a top 50 place in a World Championship race in qualifying , the best ever placing by an Irish skier in a major Championship. O'Connor has been in Vancouver training with his coach Colin Gaffney, and we asked him to comment on his experiences so far:

Pat Hickey, President of the Olympic Council of Ireland met athletes and performance support staff in Whistler at the official welcome ceremony for the Irish delegation.

Pat Shannon's Olympic skeleton campaign gets underway at Whistler Sliding Centre tomorrow, Thursday 18th February, 18.30pm (Canadian time). He was caught in action by William Cherry , Presseye, accredited Irish Media at the 2010 Games.

P. J. Barron competed in the 15km cross country skiing event in Vancouver yesterday, eventually finishing in 91st position.

Irish Winter Olympic Team athletes and performance support team officials entered the Olympic Opening Ceremony to a fantastic welcome from the host nation spectators. Bobsleigher Aoife Hoey carried her National Flag with pride. Chef de Mission Siobhan Hoey led in the performance team support.Wearing official sponsored team clothing supplied by Columbia Sport they paraded in style.

After five hours of intensive legal argument, involving senior legal counsel from Dublin and Sydney, followed by 24 hours of consideration of the Australian claim for a place in the Women’s Bobsleigh competition, the three independent judges of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), have announced their decision.