Irish women's bobsleigh team driver Aoife Hoey warms up before her team's third run in Vancouver. The Irish team won thier personal battle with Australia, finishing in 17th place overall.

The Irish women’s bobsleigh team have won their personal dual with Australia in Vancouver, claiming a highly creditable 17th place finish at the Winter Olympic event.

Pilot Aoife Hoey and brake woman Claire Bergin  finished two places ahead of main rivals Australia whose late entry almost cost the Irish due their place at the Games.

Hoey and Bergin had become the first women’s bobsleigh team from Ireland to qualify for an Olympic Games,and their last run ensured they finished well of the bottom in an event won by Canada’s Kaillie Humphries and Heather Moyes.

“Winter sports have got a big boost,” Hoey said. “People have the impression that you’re from Ireland and you don’t have snow but just because you don’t have something doesn’t mean you can’t do it. We want to encourage people to follow their dreams.”

As well as completing their four heats without incident while other teams crashed on the  fastest track in the world, the pair had also survived two legal bids to have them removed from the competition in favour of teams from Australia and Brazil in a dispute of geographic representation.

The Australian pair of Astrid Loch-Wilkinson and Cecilia McIntosh were added to the start list as a 21st team and the Irish team had the satisfaction of seeing them finish two places below after crashing on their final run.

“After all the legal fuss before the competition, we feel vindicated with the results achieved here,” Hoey said.

“The atmosphere at the track was awesome but not intimidating and we decided to go for broke on each run but being careful not to crash.

“We’re thrilled to finish 17th and will hold our heads up high in the knowledge we did our best for our country on what was the fastest and toughest track we have ever encountered.”

The Irish women's bobsled team of Claire Bergin, Aoife Hoey and Leona Bryne will now take their place at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

A ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) yesterday resolved an ongoing dispute between Ireland and Australia over entry to the women’s bobsleigh event at the upcoming Winter Olympics.

A row developed last week when the Australian team discovered they would not be eligible to compete at the games, at which point they protested against the inclusion of the Irish team who had claimed the final qualifying place.

However, under a ruling by the CAS on Tuesday, both teams will now take their place on the starting line in Canada when the event begins on February 23.

The row originally centred around the Ireland team’s inclusion as the 20th and final team. The Australians argued, that under the competition’s rules, they were entitled to go to the games as the top team in their qualifying region of Oceania.

Japan qualified under the same rules as the top team in Asia, and Australia were seeking to take the place of the Irish team of Aoife Hoey, Claire Bergin and Leona Bryne under those same rules.

However, in a result that has pleased all sides, both the Irish and Australian teams will now be allowed to compete in Vancouver.

“Considering the situation of the Irish athletes, who expected legitimately to be entitled to participate in the Olympic Winter Games 2010 after their entry had been validated by the FIBT and the IOC, the CAS panel has recommended to the IOC and VANOC the inclusion of a 21st team in the women’s bobsleigh event,” a statement from the CAS said.

The opening ceremony of the 2010 Winter Olympics will take place this Saturday night and will be screened live on Channel Nine from 12.30pm.

by Aaron Dunne