Tarnished gold must be handed back

NOW that Cian O'Connor has been cleared of any deliberate wrongdoing, although he has been stripped of his Olympic gold medal from the Athens games, he should call a spade a spade and hand back the once glittering prize which is now so tarnished as to make it worthless.

Technically speaking, from the time he receives the written verdict of the International Equestrian Federation, he has a window of 30 days in which to appeal the order to return the medal won in a breathtaking display of jumping on Waterford Crystal.

And, to be fair, he would be within his rights if he were to challenge the weekend ruling.

But, on the face of it, it would be an ill-advised course of action.

There seems precious little more to be salvaged from this sordid affair.

An appeal by O'Connor would probably be perceived by the general public as a cynical attempt to prolong the potentially lucrative showjumping season.

At times, this saga has been more reminiscent of a Dick Francis thriller than the respectable arena of equestrian competition.

In a bizarre chain of events, equine urine samples were stolen and the offices of the Irish Equestrian Federation were burgled.

This saga of bungling does not portray the administration of the sport in a good light.

Hard questions will have to be answered by all those involved over the way in which the whole affair has been handled.

However, having found that Waterford Crystal had two banned substances in its system during the games, the international policy of zero tolerance on doping of any kind left no room for equivocation.

In addition to his disqualification, a three-month ban has been imposed on the rider. That will cost him dear, coming as it does at one of the busiest times in the equestrian calendar.

It is only natural that he should feel disappointed at losing the coveted Olympic medal. But he must have expected the verdict given the global ban on the use of medicines of any kind during competitions.

Indeed, he has some reason to be pleased and relieved at the outcome of the hearing. Especially the finding that neither he nor his vet were guilty in any way of attempting to influence the performance of the horse or trying to make it jump better.

Similarly, his sponsors, Waterford Crystal, will heave a sigh of relief at the fact that any question of cheating has been firmly ruled out.

Otherwise, O'Connor's showjumping career would be utterly in tatters as he would automatically face a two-year ban from the highly lucrative sport. No doubt, he had a somewhat easier mind when he returned to Italy to take part in a competition there after Sunday's lengthy meeting in Zurich.

The O'Connor affair sends out a loud message about the use of banned substances. Coincidentally, it has also sparked debate on unacceptable practices in the sport. Hopefully, it will not deter aspiring young Irish riders from taking part in events at the highest level.

Now that Ireland's gold medal ban has been removed, it is time to bring closure to this darkest of chapters in the country's once-proud record as a world leader in the equestrian field.

Irrespective of what happens now, Cian O'Connor's gold medal is irrevocably tarnished. He should do the honourable thing and hand it back.