President's 19-year reign down to political wizardry
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AS SOON as medals loom on the horizon, so do the Olympic Suits, particularly Pat Hickey, who has been president of the Olympic Council of Ireland (OCI), for 19 years and counting.
Hickey quickly materialised at the slalom canoeing final last week, flew down to the equine centre in Hong Kong on Thursday, and quickly re-appeared at the boxing semi-finals yesterday with John Delaney (an OCI vice-president) in tow.
Within 45 minutes of landing in Hong Kong, he discovered an Irish horse had tested positive, so Hickey had to hightail it back to Beijing.
Yesterday, predictably, he cut loose at the equestrian federation who, once again, have embarrassed the association he holds dear and rules with an iron fist.
A former judo international who is also President of the European Olympic Committees (EOC) and a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) since 1995, Hickey is a fit-looking 63-year-old Dublin auctioneer, who now spends a lot of time in Lausanne, because of his EOC role.
Hickey certainly has a charming easy-going manner, unless you try and ask hard questions at an OCI AGM, where such impudence is simply not countenanced and batted away skillfully by standing orders.
As the Olympic movement internationally insists on its independence from state, he and the OCI are not answerable to anyone except themselves and their member sports.
Reviews
After the Sydney and Athens Olympics, the OCI were included in the post-Game reviews that suggested the best way forward and, on the surface, got on fine with the other bodies.
But they harbour animosity towards the Sports Council (ISC), who hold more sway over Irish sporting organisations than they do, largely because the ISC signs the big cheques and Hickey has never kow-towed to any Minister for Sport. He doesn't need to.
Very little government money goes to the OCI, whose plush offices in Howth are largely funded by the International Olympic Committee.
And Hickey's ability to remain in charge is largely down to his brilliant politicking.
When businessman Richard Burrows campaigned to oppose him in 2001, he was in for a shock.
Burrows was sure his campaign had secured enough support, but when the votes came in, Hickey held on with a 27-10 margin.
That astuteness was evidenced just days before his recent departure for Beijing.
Baseball is about to be dropped off the Olympic programme, which means a vote will inevitably be lost down the line.
And what wildly popular sport did the Olympic Council of Ireland just agree to accept into their midst. Yes, you've guessed it: curling!
- Cliona Foley
