Northern Ireland’s first individual Olympic gold medal in 40 years could come at London 2012 — but Rio 2016 will be when Ulster really hits the big time.

That’s the verdict of the man behind Northern Ireland’s elite performance programme.

The Sports Institute Northern Ireland’s Executive Director, Dr Shaun Ogle, is adamant that great days are ahead in the Olympics, pointing to cyclist Wendy Houvenaghel’s silver and boxer Paddy Barnes’ bronze in Beijing as a sign of things to come.

But Mary Peters’ pentathlon triumph at Munich in 1972 is still the last individual gold to go to a Northern Ireland competitor.

So at least 40 years will have passed before anyone emulates Dame Mary.

“It’s an awfully long time to wait,” agrees Dr Ogle.

“There are Northern Ireland competitors with a realistic chance of gold in 2012, but looking at some of the talent coming through I am confident that Rio 2016 will be a great Olympics for this country.”

Rower Alan Campbell from Coleraine is the obvious candidate to strike gold in London, while Beijing medallists Houvenaghel and Barnes will also have high hopes.

Campbell was hampered by injury in Beijing but still managed to finish fifth in the final of the single sculls.

The future for Houvenaghel and Barnes is more uncertain, the former’s place in the Great Britain team possibly coming under threat from the wealth of emerging track talent, while the latter’s light flyweight division may be scrapped for the London Games.

“We will be looking for our athletes to achieve personal bests at the Olympics,” explains Dr Ogle.

“If PBs are achieved the next goal would be reaching an Olympic final, something which is extremely difficult. The next level is winning a medal, gold of course the ultimate achievement.

“Anyone who is in with a chance of a medal at London 2012 would be at the very top of their game now.

“But I feel we have athletes coming through now who could be capable of emulating Mary Peters by taking individual gold in Rio. We have certainly waited a very long time.

“We have had hockey players — Stephen Martin and Jimmy Kirkwood — who have won gold with Great Britain but individual gold continues to elude us.

“Can Northern Ireland win an individual gold by 2016? I believe the answer is yes.

“There’s enough time for someone to come through and take gold in Rio.

“If someone is already within our system and remains within it, they could win gold in Rio.

“We are detecting a change of attitude in athletes in this country. Athletes now don’t simply just want to go to the Olympics, they want to go to the Olympics to win a medal,” he says.

Dr Ogle believes that London 2012 has already had a very positive impact on Northern Ireland sport.

“The award of the 2012 Olympics to London has really got things moving in this country.

“There is already a much more willing attitude from government in terms of doing everything possible in the push for medals.

“London 2012 has provided an incentive and a target.

“Northern Ireland’s biggest successes may actually occur in Rio, but London will have been the catalyst.

“We would not be at such an advanced stage were it not for London 2012,” he says.

It has been mooted that some countries may use Northern Ireland as a training base ahead of London 2012. But SINI will be putting its resources solely at the disposal of local athletes.

“We’re here to help local athletes win medals, whether they are representing Ireland or Great Britain,” adds Dr Ogle.

And the Sports Institute Northern Ireland — which is run courtesy of National Lottery funding through Sport Northern Ireland — will play a key role in those medal hopes, at Olympics, Paralympics and Commonwealths.

Let the Games begin.

Ulster's Major Games athletes

Athletics: Amy Foster, Jason Smyth, Michael McKillop, Ciara Mageean.

Archery: Mark Nesbit, Karl Watson.

Basketball: Matthew Rollston, Paul McKillop.

Bowls: Bernadette O'Neill, Jennifer Dowds, Sandra Bailie, Neil Booth, Mark McPeak.

Boxing: Paddy Barnes, Eamon O'Kane, |Ryan Lindberg, Tommy McCarthy.

Canoeing: Hannah Craig.

Cycling: Conor McConvey, Philip Deignan, Martyn Irvine.

Adaptive Rowing: Karen Cromie.

Hockey: Emma Clarke, Shirley McCay, Emma Stewart, Bridget Cleland, Iain Lewers, Mark Gleghome, Tim Cockram, Alex Speers, Eugene Magee.

Judo: Lisa Kearney.

Sailing: Tiffany Brien, Matt McGovern, Ryan Seaton, Debbie Hanna.

Shooting: David Beattie, Matthew Hall.

Squash: Madeline Perry.

Swimming: Melanie Nocher, Conor Leaney.

Table Tennis: Na Lui.

Triathlon: Emma Davis, Aileen Morrison, Gavin Noble.