Delap spikes 2012 Games talk

Rory Delap reacted wryly Thursday to suggestions he could represent Ireland in the 2012 Olympic javelin competition.

The Stoke midfielder’s long-throwing prowess has been instrumental in setting up goals for the newly-promoted Premier League side and his ability has become one of the talking points of the English season.

But the Republic of Ireland international said he for one wasn’t contemplating a return to his schoolboy roots as a javelin-thrower when the Olympics come to London in four years’ time.

“They must be pretty desperate if they are scraping the barrel for me,” Delap told the Stoke Sentinel. “I did javelin when I was a youngster but gave it up when I was 14 or 15 so I could concentrate on football.

“I represented the county so I was decent at it, but I don’t know if I am Olympic standard.”