Editorial: No World Cup but medals story of the summer

​What was supposed to be a summer celebration of the Green And White Army turned instead into a parade of gold, silver and bronze. The eyes of the sporting world over June and July centred on the global behemoth that proved football's World Cup hosted by US, Mexico and Canada. The final whistle had already sounded on that dream, of course, on an Italian night in March for Michael O'Neill, his Northern Ireland players and our fans as play-off pain killed hopes of a return to the beautiful game's grandest stage for the first time since 1986. However, the sporting wheel keeps on spinning and focus switched from team disappointment at Northern Ireland missing the World Cup party to individual delight with medals for athletics, bowls, boxing, judo, rowing and swimming. Our wee country's finest featured on podiums in Scotland, England, France and the Netherlands. It started off with Glasgow's Commonwealth Games and the Northern Ireland squad returning home with 16 medals won by Kate O'Connor, Jon McConnell, Gary Kelly, Adam McKeown, Shauna O'Neill, Chloe Wilson, Michaela Walsh, Kaci Rock, Jude Gallagher, Garyn McAllister, Willie John McCartan, Daniel Wiffen, Barry McClements, Bethany Firth, Ellie McCartney, Joshua Green and Rachael Hawkes. O'Connor then followed up her Commonwealth Games gold with top spot at Birmingham's European Championships with Team Ireland. Hannah Scott wrapped up the summer success by adding silver on the Amsterdam waters to her impressive Great Britain medal haul. With summer now officially over it's a perfect time to reflect on continued international glory in elite-level sport built on those foundations of coaching support by so many volunteers at community level across the country.