Whatever way you look at it this is a shambles.
Michael O’Reilly remains committed to clearing his name after the positive drugs test which ended his Olympic dream, but the fallout from the Portlaoise fighter’s failed test rumbles on and on.
On Sunday, Michael Conlan’s father and coach John pulled no punches as he assessed the damage he felt O’Reilly’s failed test has caused to the rest of the boxers in Rio.
"He embarrassed Irish boxing and brought a terrible thing to Irish boxing" https://t.co/7lyH1bJPhD
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) August 14, 2016
In his scathing assessment, John Conlan made the claim that O’Reilly didn’t train with the rest of the Irish team in the build-up to the Rio Games.
“We came here, we had a devastating start to this tournament,” said Conlan. “I’m not going to go over it too much, but that guy (Michael O’Reilly) didn’t train with us – he hasn’t been with us for eight weeks.
“We met him in the airport. He wasn’t part of my team. He arrived in there, shocked us, embarrassed the country, embarrassed boxing, embarrassed AIBA.”
Following Katie Taylor’s defeat on Monday afternoon, Bernard Dunne took Conlan to task over his comments and said the coach was plain wrong is his statement.
Bernard Dunne calls bullshit on Michael O'Reilly being absent from Ireland camp for eight weeks https://t.co/jlOzzgbNxi
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) August 15, 2016
“Michael O’Reilly was out in camp in Azerbaijan for the month of June and he qualified out there at the end of that month,” Dunne stated.
“Then the team went away on the 19th of July to Brazil so there’s only really a two-week period there where they’re not around each other.
Dunne’s comments led to calls for the IABA to come out and clarify just what the hell is going on, which they did in a statement which attempts, at least, to draw a line under the affair. Not that it will.
“The Irish Athletic Boxing Association (IABA) can confirm that Michael O’Reilly was with the Irish Boxing Team in Baku, Azerbaijan from 2nd to 26th June partaking in both a pre-competition camp and the Olympic Qualification Competition.
“On his return home from Azerbaijan Michael had a knuckle injury and also had the flu. He trained at his local club, Portlaoise Boxing Club during this period and joined up with the team when they departed for the pre-Olympic Rio Training camp on July 19th.”
The statement tallies with Bernard Dunne’s version of events and will no doubt lead to calls for John Conlan to come out and explain his comments.
On the latest episode of the GAA Hour Hurling Show Wooly and the lads reflect on a monumental weekend of action. Listen below or subscribe here on iTunes.
