Mills will not make Olympic appeal

The 19-year-old local girl was left bitterly disappointed on Tuesday after Kilkenny’s Catriona Cuddihy successfully appealed her de-selection from the six-woman squad.

On Wednesday Mills wrote on Twitter: “I’ve decided that even though I may have grounds to win the appeal, I’m not going to take it to CAS! I wish the 4x4 success at #london2012.”

She had originally won an appeal against her exclusion from the team, but, yesterday it emerged that Cuddihy had been successful in her appeal to the Olympic Council of Ireland against her de-selection.

The former Ballyclare High School pupil, who is sixth fastest in Ireland, boasts a personal best time of 53.89 in the 400m and a season’s best 54.41. Cuddihy’s best time, which was recorded in this current campaign, is 54.59.

“I’m really disappointed not just because I’m not going, but because of the way the whole matter has been dealt with. It’s really disheartening. It has been a really tiring and long, drawn-out process,” the Queen’s University student told the Times.

“I have been training five or sometimes six days a week and it’s every athlete’s dream to compete at the Olympics. With me being sixth fastest, I thought I should get to go, but, whenever you almost have that opportunity but you still don’t get to go, that’s what’s disappointing.”