ALISTAIR CRAGG is selected to run for Ireland in the SPAR European cross-country championships in Santry on December 13.

MARTIN FAGAN will go to the line among the favourites for tomorrow’s senior men’s race at the European cross-country championships in Brussels but the Mullingar Harrier knows it will be difficult to improve on last year’s seventh placing in Toro.

ANDREW LEDWITH (Fr. Murphy’s) has been named on the Irish senior men’s team for the world cross-country championships at the end of the month in what could prove a very wise decision by the selectors.

IF Cathal Lombard qualifies for the Olympic Games in Beijing then the Olympic Council of Ireland will give consideration his participation.

Cathal Lombard beat Alistair Cragg (pictured) into second place to win the Irish Cross-Country title in Belfast today.

ALAN O’SHEA, tipped as a star of the future, took a giant step in the right direction yesterday when easily winning the Cork City Marathon.

Irish cycling legend Seán Kelly believes the testing of amateur Irish sportsmen and women is a risky business.

Another Irish athlete has reportedly tested positive for banned drugs, according to media reports today.

Ireland must begin preparing now for the Olympics in London in 2012 to prevent the fiasco of Athens last year, it was claimed tonight.

AWARD judges couldn’t split Cork’s sporting finest yesterday.

With the news that Cian O’Connor’s gold medal winning horse tested positive for a performance enhancing drug, the whole Irish Olympic experience of the 2004 Games in Athens is beginning to look like a fiasco.

SHAMED former Olympic hopeful Cathal Lombard can only be made pay back a fraction of the State sports grants he received before he was banned for a doping offence.

THE public's deep disappointment at the poor performance of Ireland's Olympic athletes was graphically mirrored in the forlorn spectacle of Sonia O'Sullivan's lonely last lap around the Athens stadium.

SEVENTEEN pages and three editorials in three days (about athlete Cathal Lombard’s admission that he took a performance-enhancing drug) suggests someone at the Irish Examiner is on a righteous-enhancement substance.

A spokesman for the Athletics Association of Ireland (AAI) has said they hoped Cathal Lombard's ban would act as a warning to anyone considering violating doping rules.

The Irish Olympic athlete who admitted taking performance enhancing drug EPO has been banned from the sport for two years, it was confirmed today.

AS the 28th Olympic Games get underway in Athens today, it is timely to reflect on the unifying potential of sport in a world ravaged by wars, beset by racialism and bigotry and riven by economic crises.

CUSTOMS officers have intercepted 22 packages of the banned drug EPO and anabolic steroids in the last 12 months.

Irish distance runner Cathal Lombard has been provisionally suspended and is set to receive a two-year ban following his admission he took banned substance EPO.

CATHAL Lombard’s own athletics club yesterday expressed disappointment at the admission by the Cork runner that he took a banned performance-enhancing drug.

DISGRACED Irish Olympian Cathal Lombard, who tested positive for a banned performance-enhancing drug, wants to devote his energies to tackling drugs in sport.

IRISH running legend Marcus O’Sullivan has dismissed Cathal Lombard’s explanation for choosing to use performance-enhancing drugs.

FOR Cathal Lombard to suggest his story was blown out of all proportion in a trial by media reflects incredible naivety on his part.

IRISH Sports Council chief executive John Treacy yesterday rejected claims that investigations of athletes testing positive to drugs could take up to a year.

The Irish Olympic athlete found guilty of drug offences vowed tonight to help in the fight against doping in sport.

Disgraced Irish Olympic athlete Cathal Lombard could face prosecution for importing the performance-enhancing drug EPO.

The Athletic Association of Ireland has said it will suspend Irish athlete Cathal Lombard after receiving a statement from the athlete.

Tip-offs from Irish Customs and the Irish Medicines Board may have alerted the Irish Sports Council to disgraced Cork athlete Cathal Lombard’s use of the performance-enhancing drug EPO.

Irish Olympian Cathal Lombard was caught taking performance enhancing drugs following a tip-off from customs officials, it emerged today.

Irish athlete Cathal Lombard is due to meet officials from Athletics Ireland today to formally respond to his positive drug test.

A LEADING Irish sports psychologist yesterday rejected Cathal Lombard’s claim that he took the performance-enhancing drug EPO merely to compete on a level playing field and not to boost his medal chances.

The real heroes of the Cathal Lombard saga are the drug testers and, in spite of everything, the athlete himself also deserves credit for admitting his guilt.

The athlete who admitted taking the performance-enhancing drug EPO arrived back in Ireland tonight to face officials.

Sports Minister John O’Donoghue has condemned the actions of Irish athlete Cathal Lombard, who has admitted taking performance-enhancing drugs.

Irish Olympic athlete Cathal Lombard arrives back in Dublin today to face officials after failing a drugs test.

CATHAL LOMBARD has admitted to taking the performance enhancing drug Erythropoietin (EPO).

CATHAL LOMBARD, the 28-year-old Cork runner, has acknowledged that he tested positive for the performance-enhancing drug, EPO.

Irish distance runner Cathal Lombard will explain to officials tomorrow why he has tested positive for the banned drug EPO.

Irish distance runner Cathal Lombard has tested positive for the banned drug EPO and is facing the axe from the Olympic team and a potential two-year suspension if found guilty.

MARK CARROLL highlighted his well-being in advance of the Olympic Games by running away with the 5,000m and then winning an exciting sprint for third place behind Alistair Cragg and young Colin Costello in the 1,500m at the Woodies DIY National Championships at Morton Stadium yesterday.

MARK CARROLL will chase the 5,000m title in the absence of defending champion Cathal Lombard at the Woodies DIY National Track and Field Championships at Morton Stadium this weekend.

STACY DRAGILA was a woman apart at the Sydney Olympics in 2000, when she stormed to victory in the inaugural pole vault competition.