Joe Ward's Olympic Games dream officially ended yesterday evening - but very much outside the boxing ring.

The Moate light-heavyweight, 19, had one final effort to be included in the Games (which officially begin today) when he took his appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in London.

Ward was challenge the decision of the Olympic Tripartite Commission not to grant him a 'wild card' entry after his controversial defeat in the final qualifying tournament in Trabzon against Turkish opponent Bahran Muzaffer last April.

Yesterday's, CAS' ruling was two-fold, essentially arguing that it did not have the jurisdiction to deal with Ward's application, but adding that, even if it had, the challenge would have been dismissed.

Ultimately, the appeal failed, finally ending Ward's attempt to reach this year's Olympics.

The young Moate man has emerged as one of world boxing finest amateurs in recent years, and is already a two-time Irish senior champion, having beaten former Olympic Games medalist, Kenneth Egan, in the last finals of the National Senior Boxing Championships.

A European light-heavyweight champion at 17, Ward is currently ranked fourth in the AIBA rankings but, in June, the 'wild card' entry went to a Montenegrin boxer, Bosko Draskovic. Draskovic is not listed in the latest official world rankings, which run to 36 places.