O’Sullivan will head up an experienced management team, including OCI chief executive Stephen Martin, a member of Britain's hockey team that won the gold medals at the Seoul Olympics in 1988, and Martin Burke, OCI sports director.

O’Sullivan, Olympic 5,000 metres silver medallist at the Sydney Games in 2000 and a former double world cross country champion, has experience in the role after serving as Chef de Mission for the European Youth Olympic squad.

Nevertheless it is still a surprise appointment by the OCI as O'Sullivan only joined its ruling Council in October 2008.

Chairman of the OCI's Athletes Commission, Jamie Costin, said: "Sonia is a sporting legend and she will ensure that the Irish team's preparations and participation at the London Olympics will be totally athlete focused.

"This is a superb move by the OCI and will undoubtedly assist our chances of winning medals."

O'Sullivan, Martin and Burke have already visited London's Olympic Park to begin their preparations (pictured).



O'Sullivan is Ireland's most successful ever female athlete having won the world 5,000m title at Gothenburg in 1995 and was the double world cross country champion in 1998 as well as narrowly failing to win the Olympic title in Sydney.
 
She is now retired from top-class athletics, although she has spoken in the past about trying to make a comeback to run in the marathon at London in 2012, when she will be 43 - a plan that she will now presumably drop.

The OCI also appointed Siobhan Hoey as Chef de Mission for the Winter Olympics in Vancouver in February, where Ireland could yet compete in four disciplines.

Hoey is a former Irish triple jump champion and international bobsleigher and currently manages the Irish women's bobsleigh team.

Pat Hickey, the President of the OCI, who has championed O'Sullivan's attempts to become a leading sports administrator, was behind the move.

He said: "These selections allow us to take a fresh and dynamic approach to the many performance challenges that face our athletes, especially for the London Games, which will be virtually a home Olympics for Ireland."

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May 2008: O'Sullivan put forward for a top role in Ireland