Gareth Turnbull could still make Athens quailfying time

The Olympic Council of Ireland may soften qualifying criteria and select athletes that reach certain standards following last Saturday's deadline.

So far only 13 athletes have reached the qualifying standard and will be announced in the Ireland Olympic team on Wednesday.

However, Athletics Ireland are hopeful that others may be considered.

Belfast runner Turnbull is one of the athletes looking for a reprieve

He ran a season's best of 3:39.84 last week when finishing in eighth place in the 1500m at the Zagreb Grand Prix.

But that was still short of the Olympic qualifying mark of 3:36.20. But he believes that he is on course to achieve that time later this month.

The final IAAF deadline for athletes to be selected for Athens is 9 August.

Formal submission

International secretary Liam Hennessy said he hopes that the OCI will accept a plea on behalf of Athletics Ireland when they consider submissions.

''We fully accept that the OCI is the final arbitrator on this, but we fundamentally disagree with the qualification date chosen which bears no relationship to the international athletics calendar,'' he said.

''First all of all we made a formal submission on the 13 athletes that achieved the A standard before last Saturday. Obviously those athletes were accepted.

''After that we made a submission on behalf of the few athletes we feel should also be selected if they get the qualifying standard over the next few weeks.

''We just went through their various profiles, with a lot of background and where we feel they are gong over the next couple of weeks.

''But that now has to be taken to the executive committee of the OCI, and then they'll come back to us.''