The Commission will comprise of five Olympic athletes who have competed at either of the most recent summer and winter Olympic Games for Ireland, and will be chaired by Costin.

The other members of the Commission will be Ciara Peelo from sailing, Derek Burnett from shooting, Rory Morrish from snow sports and Richard Archibald from rowing.

The Athletes Commission, an International Olympic Committee initiative (IOC), is a consultative body designed to ensure that athlete’s views on Olympic matters are represented on National Olympic committees.

Costin will now become an ex-officio member of the OCI’s ruling Executive Committee following his new appointment.

He said: "I believe the Commission has an important role to play in the planning for Ireland’s challenge at the London 2012 Olympics.”

Costin represented Ireland in last year's Olympics in Beijing, finishing 44th out of a field of 48.

But that was a remarkable performance because nine days before the Olympics four years earlier in Athens Costin had been almost killed when a lorry, driving up the wrong side of the road, smashed into him.
 
He shattered two vertebrae in his back, fractured several bones, and there were fears he would never walk again.