Ireland may never get to host a full Olympic Games due to its size and the nature of the facilities it demands but Irish influence over where future games might be held has grown stronger overnight with the appointment of Galway man Pierce O’Callaghan to a senior role within the European Olympic Games administration.
O’Callaghan served as Sports Director for the first ever European Olympics in Baku in 2015 and has now been appointed as Senior Consultant to the European Olympic Committee, chaired by fellow irishman Patrick Hickey.
O’Callaghan’s immediate focus will be the selection of the host city for the 2019 European Games.
“As we move closer to confirming a host city for the 2019 European Games, it’s vital to have the best talent in the right roles,” said Hickey.
“Pierce did an excellent job in preparing the sports programme for Baku 2015 and I’m delighted that he has joined the EOC team to take up this dedicated role on the European Games.”
“His experience will be vital right from the off as our work around the European Games 2019 is increasing significantly in 2016.”
“Baku 2015 was a major success and it’s my job to maintain the tremendous momentum those inaugural Games established,” added O’Callaghan.
The Baku Games saw 6000 athletes competing across 20 sports at 18 different venues. Funding provided by the Azerbaijan Government was central to its getting off the ground.
It is thought most likely that Russia will be named as host of the 2019 European Games later this year. A major challenge will be to raise the number of major athletics competitors taking part as their representation was poor in Baku.
It will certainly not harm the likelihood of a major step up in that area that O’Callaghan was closely involved in the campaign run by Sebastien Coe to become Head of the International Amateur Athletics Federation last year.
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Irish influence over the future hosting of major sports events will also be solidified by the hosting yesterday and today of a special summit involving decision makers around the future direction of the Special Olympics World Games.
Rob Hartnett of Sport for Business will be involved in discussions today around how the organising committees of future World Games can build on the success and learn from the previous World Games for Special Olympics athletes held most recently in Los Angeles last year and famously in 2003 in Ireland.
