Club blasts runner’s claims

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

Leevale Athletic Club secretary Liam Horgan said the athlete’s suggestion that Olympic hopefuls could not compete at the highest level without taking banned substances was “total rubbish”.

Speaking on RTÉ Radio, Mr Horgan said no decision on Lombard’s future membership of Leevale could be made until Athletics Ireland concludes its examination into reports that he failed a drugs test carried out in Switzerland last month.