European Indoor medallists Ciarán Ó Lionáird and Derval O'Rourke have both been left disappointing by their 2014 funding after Athletics Ireland announced their list of athletes for the 2014 Carding Scheme.
Following this week's announcement of the Irish Sports Council funding, the various Irish sporting governing bodies have been breaking the good and the bad news to their top athletes today.
Ó Lionáird and O'Rourke are the two most high-profile casualties after both athletes were told they would be given €12,000 backing this year.
Ó Lionáird's funding has been cut from €20,000 to €12,000 despite winning bronze in the 3000 metres at the European Indoors in Gothenburg last year and also recording the fastest indoor time for the 1500 metres in Europe in 2013.
The Cork-born athlete was clearly upset by the decision tweeting today:
You wonder why kids in Ireland don't want to do athletics? Medal and you're cut. What does that tell young dreamers? Terrible message.
— Ciarán Ó Lionáird (@GoCiaran) February 14, 2014
O'Rourke has seen her funding remain at the same level, despite being upgraded to the third step of the podium in the 60m hurdles in Gothenburg after a failed doping test by Turkey's Nevin Yanit.
Olympic boxer Darren O'Neill has also been cut from the world class level of €20,000 to the international class of €12,000 while his team-mate Adam Nolan has been cut entirely.
In contrast, world silver medallist Jason Quigley has been bumped-up to podium-level funding, joining fellow boxers Katie Taylor, Joe Ward, Paddy Barnes and Michael Conlan on €40,000
The other top-level athletes are Rob Heffernan, triathlete Aileen Reid, cyclists Colin Lynch, Martyn Irvine and Mark Rohan, paralympians Jason Smyth, Michael McKillop and Orla Barry, paralympic swimmers Ellen Keane, James Scully, Darragh McDonald and Laurence McGivern as well as sailor Annalise Murphy.
Image: Derval O'Rourke ©INPHO/Morgan Treacy
