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#OLYMPICS - Irish Olympic sailor and current All-Ireland sailing champion Peter O'Leary has been let off with a warning by officials after betting on a competitor to win at the 2008 Games in Beijing.

O'Leary and his then partner Stephen Milne did not qualify for the Star class medal race in Beijing, in which O'Leary won €3,600 after placing a €300 bet on 12-1 Britain.

The story came to light days before O'Leary and current teammate David Burrows began their Star class campaign at this summer's London Olympics, prompting an investigation by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

But IOC chiefs announced yesterday that they had found "no proof of any match-fixing".

While Olympic athletes are banned from betting on Olympic events, the IOC's ethics commission agreed that O'Leary was not fully aware of the rules at the time.

"The athlete was unaware he could not bet on Olympic events," said IOC spokesperson Mark Adams. "It is not something we agree with and we condemn it but we will not take any more action."

O'Leary and Burrows finished 10th in the Star class at the London Games in what was a milestone summer for Irish sailing on world sport's biggest stage.

Published in Olympics 2012

#olympicsailing – Fancy betting on sailing at the 2012 Olympics? There's some fantastic odds on sailors to win medals as well as a few short ones if you factor in the vagaries of weather and a week long series. We've taken a quick eyeball and here's a selection from Paddy Power Bookmakers.

Star class supremo Robert Scheidt at 6/5 is not a great bet but there are fantastic odds on the defending champion Iain Percy at 5/1. Ireland 's Peter O'Leary at 7/2 is also definitely worth a punt.

In the Laser Radial class Annalise Murphy at 10/1 who goes into action today is worth a ton of money as the forecast is definitely on her side. We all know she is a formdidable force in big winds so the forecast is good for an each way bet. And Gintare Scheidt is excellent odds at 5/1 especially as she is the reigning world champion.

In the 470 the Australian champions are poor odds at 1/12 given there are so many opportunities for screw ups in a week long event. Ireland's Ger Owens is a very long shot at 25/1.

In the 49er the Irish are 25/1 and possibly a good each way bet as they have a superb coach in Ian Barker, 2000 silver medalist and have been on upward trajectory for the last year.

The Australians at 11/10 look like a sure fire thing so not worth a bet, but the British at 8/1 and the Spanish at 13/1 are both amazing odds.

In the Finn Ben Ainslie 8/15 would be your banker with the Danish at 8/5 very short odds but the Dutch 25/1 and the Croatian 11/2 are both good each way bets.

Paddy Power sailing here

Published in Olympics 2012

Coastal Notes Coastal Notes covers a broad spectrum of stories, events and developments in which some can be quirky and local in nature, while other stories are of national importance and are on-going, but whatever they are about, they need to be told.

Stories can be diverse and they can be influential, albeit some are more subtle than others in nature, while other events can be immediately felt. No more so felt, is firstly to those living along the coastal rim and rural isolated communities. Here the impact poses is increased to those directly linked with the sea, where daily lives are made from earning an income ashore and within coastal waters.

The topics in Coastal Notes can also be about the rare finding of sea-life creatures, a historic shipwreck lost to the passage of time and which has yet many a secret to tell. A trawler's net caught hauling more than fish but cannon balls dating to the Napoleonic era.

Also focusing the attention of Coastal Notes, are the maritime museums which are of national importance to maintaining access and knowledge of historical exhibits for future generations.

Equally to keep an eye on the present day, with activities of existing and planned projects in the pipeline from the wind and wave renewables sector and those of the energy exploration industry.

In addition Coastal Notes has many more angles to cover, be it the weekend boat leisure user taking a sedate cruise off a long straight beach on the coast beach and making a friend with a feathered companion along the way.

In complete contrast is to those who harvest the sea, using small boats based in harbours where infrastructure and safety poses an issue, before they set off to ply their trade at the foot of our highest sea cliffs along the rugged wild western seaboard.

It's all there, as Coastal Notes tells the stories that are arguably as varied to the environment from which they came from and indeed which shape people's interaction with the surrounding environment that is the natural world and our relationship with the sea.