A small number of Irish athletes will feel their prospects of qualifying for the London Olympics next year have been improved after the IAAF yesterday announced amended standards for some events.

The amendments are small but they could make the difference between making the Irish team and not making the Games at all.

For example in the men's 400 metres, which is a strong Irish event, the A standard has been eased from 45.25 to 45.30 seconds while the B mark has been eased from 45.70 to 45.90 seconds.

In all amendments have been made in six events, the A marks for the men's and women's 400m, the women's 5,000m, 400m hurdles, shot putt and for the A mark in the javelin. Read more

Back in the nest at Loughborough, with a familiar training regime, girlfriend Charlotte an hour away in London by rail and Dublin no less accessible by air, David Gillick is a happy man again.

He sounds a far cry from the melancholic, anxious figure who found the solitude of a new life in Florida just too hard to bear, and came back to coach Nick Dakin with his ‘tail between his legs’.

He is so happy, in fact, that the looming imperative of qualifying for the London Olympics doesn’t raise his blood pressure at all. It’s not that Gillick doesn’t care about getting the time; he knows that if he trains well and runs well, it will come.‘People keep going on about the time and it’s very important to get it, of course, but the important thing is that whether I had an A standard from last year or this year, you still have to perform,’ says the 400- metres man.

‘If I was running like a donkey I wouldn’t want to go to the Olympics even if I had qualified.

‘I am in an environment where since 2006 I have run the A standard every year. If I can do the work on the programme, I know it will come.’

Gillick is training with essentially the same band of British Olympic aspirants as when he left Loughborough, but says: ‘It already strikes me how much they have moved on in the space of a year.’

The group gives him what he lacked in the US, training with the likes of mega-star Tyson Gay — camaraderie.

‘That is something I kind of missed a bit in America, where it was just me and one other guy and I know going down to the track now that there will be a lot of craic,’ says Gillick.

‘We are there to push each other on, but the social side of things is really important and it makes it a little bit easier.’

If he can claw his way back to his best by next summer - Gillick’ s 44.77secs in 2009 made him equal sixth-fastest in the world that year, and he was sixth at the World Championships in Berlin - the Dubliner will be one of Ireland’s top track-and-field contenders.

For now, it is just fun to be having fun again.

‘When I went back out for the first track session I realised I had really missed it,’ he says. ‘I didn’t do a lot of track stuff out in the States, so I am back enjoying the sport.’

OCI announce ESB Electric Ireland as a sponsor of Team Ireland for London 2012

Dublin, 21st September 2011: The Olympic Council of Ireland (OCI) today revealed ESB Electric Ireland as an official sponsor of Team Ireland for the London 2012 Olympics. The announcement was made by President of the OCI, Pat Hickey at the ESB Sportsco sports facility in Dublin 4 in the company of four of Team Ireland's Olympic hopefuls Deirdre Ryan, Katie Taylor, Derval O'Rourke and David Gillick.

Speaking at today's announcement ESB Chief Executive Padraig McManus said ESB Electric Ireland were proud to be supporting Ireland's athletes in their journey to London 2012.

"ESB have a long tradition supporting sport in this country. Over the years, we have been involved both in the community at grassroots level, as well as supporting elite athletes and teams across a broad range of codes including basketball, GAA, rugby, athletics and hockey." said McManus.

"ESB Electric Ireland is a proud Irish company with a positive and energetic vision for the future. We understand the important role sport plays both in our communities and our country, and indeed in portraying a positive image of "Brand Ireland" abroad. Sport has an incomparable power to energise a nation."

"ESB Electric Ireland is looking forward to working with the OCI and Team Ireland over the next twelve months. We are proud to be able to support Team Ireland along the road to qualification for London and look forward to seeing what happens when we combine our energy and passion with that of the many athletes who will form the 2012 Team Ireland"

Pat Hickey, President of the OCI said they were hugely impressed by ESB Electric Ireland's plans for supporting Team Ireland.

"We in the OCI are naturally delighted to have ESB Electric Ireland as official sponsors for Team Ireland. They have an enthusiasm and energy for Team Ireland which matches that of our own athletes. We are very much looking forward to an exciting year which will hopefully culminate in a great performance for Team Ireland at London 2012"

Electric Ireland's support of Team Ireland will continue until the end of the London 2012 games, and McManus said the company will be announcing details of their support plans over the coming weeks.

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Gillick to miss rest of season

Double European Indoor 400m Champion, David Gillick is set to miss out on the remainder of the 2011 athletics season including the upcoming World Track and Field Championships in Daegu South Korea, due to injury.

Gillick who placed sixth at the 2009 World Championships has taken the tough decision to withdraw based on medical advice on the calf injury he sustained earlier in the season. The Dublin man said "Obviously I am very disappointed to have to sit the season out. I have invested a lot of time and effort in attempting to make this a successful year, but unfortunately tearing my calf muscle and the subsequent problems have put me way behind where I want to be."

Gillick is now turning his focus firmly on the London 2012 Olympics games next year: "I want to do everything in my power to achieve my full potential in biggest stage of all, the Olympic Games."

David has also made a significant decision to leave his training base in Orlando, Florida and plans to return to working with his former coach of four years, Nick Dakin.

"Moving to America was a massive learning curve and it was an opportunity that I am glad that I pursued. The aim now however is to recovery and to return to 100% fitness. I will have a great team around me and with their support I truly believe that I can perform at the highest level again on the world stage."

Gillick commented: "At this moment I would like to take the opportunity to thank the Irish Sports Council, Athletics Ireland, Adidas, Openet and FESP for their loyal support and look forward to working with them in Olympic year."

I would just like to thank Openet for their continued and valued support that they have generously provided me with over the last 2 years and continuing into this crucial pre-Olympic year.

2011 is a big year for my athletics career with the World Championships coming up in August in Daegu, South Korea. This is an important platform in the lead up to the London Olympics.

I believe in hard work, dedication and leaving no stone unturned in my preparations and all is made possible with generous support.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone at Openet for their valued support in helping me pursue my goals.