Michael O’Reilly has been named as the boxer who failed a drug test in the run-up to Rio 2016.
The Irish Examiner broke a story on Thursday afternoon in which it was reported that an Irish male boxer had tested positive for a banned substance following a test in recent days.
The report emerged just as the draw for the boxers’ Olympic schedule was taking place and, shortly thereafter, another story appeared in which the initially unnamed boxer’s identity was revealed.
The test is believed to have been conducted in Ireland, prior to O’Reilly’s trip to Brazil for Rio 2016, but the result only emerged on the eve of the opening ceremony.
Irish boxer who failed drug test in build-up to Rio is Michael O'Reilly #Rio2016 #boxing https://t.co/VtQcWNX1XQ pic.twitter.com/Fpf3I8csKb
— Irish Examiner Sport (@ExaminerSport) August 4, 2016
The Games are set to get underway on Friday and all eight of Ireland’s boxers received their draws on Thursday afternoon, with O’Reilly receiving a bye to the last 16, where the Portlaoise middleweight was slated to face the winner of Rodríguez (Mexico) vs Abdul-Ridha (Iraq).
It’s reported that O’Reilly’s A sample showed up positive for a banned substance and that he was notified of the result while his fate will be decided in the coming 48 hours.
“The Irish Athletic Boxing Association (IABA) has been notified by Sport Ireland today of an alleged violation of the Irish Anti-doping Rules committed by one of the boxers in our High Performance Unit,” the IABA said in a statement.
“In following the strict procedures applying to an adverse analytical finding, the athlete in question has been informed and is provisionally suspended. The boxer can request to have a “B” sample tested but cannot participate in any competition or activity prior to the completion of an investigation under Article 8 of the Irish Anti-doping Rules.
“The Irish Athletic Boxing Association has always maintained a zero tolerance approach to doping and Irish Boxing has been one of the most widely tested sports by the National Anti-Doping Programme over the last number of years.
“IABA’s policy is that doping is contrary to the spirit of sport and every member of the association has a duty to ensure that the sport is free of doping. We ensure our boxers are available for testing in and out of competition.
“The Irish Athletic Boxing Association will not be in a position to comment further until all elements of due process associated with the anti-doping programme are completed in this case.”
