Positive test claims stun Hendricken

GERALDINE HENDRICKEN admitted last night she was “stunned” by claims that she had tested positive for a banned substance.

The Carlow middle distance runner had not been informed about the matter officially and the first she heard of the result was when she was contacted by journalists.

Yesterday the Athletics Association of Ireland confirmed that a leading athlete had tested positive for a prohibited substance.

In a brief statement issued by the association vice-president Patsy McGonagle, they said it was with regret that they had to announce that a positive result had been returned from an "A" sample provided by an Irish athlete.

"The athlete is currently being informed of the result.

"The AAI will adhere to all procedural matters relating to this result as determined by the IAAF rules."

However, contacted last night at her home in Carlow, Hendricken stated: "This is the first I have heard of it. I have not yet received any letter from the AAI but I have a notice here to say that there is a registered letter to be picked up at the Post Office and I presume that is it.

"But, honestly, I don't know how to react. When I spoke (to this reporter) earlier today I knew absolutely nothing about this. I was looking forward to competing in the world indoor championships and the world cross-country championships. I just can't explain it. I just don't know what is going on."

Some years ago, a number of British athletes and sports people from other countries tested positive for Nandrolone and it was found to have been taken unwittingly in a food supplement.

Hendricken said: "I take nutritional supplements but nothing else and I am careful about what is in them. I have the Irish Sports Council's list of banned substances. I mean I have a cold right now and I don't dare take anything for it."

It is understood the sample was taken on February 10. Hendricken had competed at the Millrose Games three days earlier when she ran badly and admitted before she went that she was not in shape to run well as she had not really got down to serious training.

"And I gave a sample a month before that. I got the result of that test and it was all clear. I have been tested six times since last summer and all the other tests came back negative. I honestly just don't know what happened here.

"All I can do now is send my supplements away for analysis but as far as I can see there is nothing in them that is on the banned list. Like I said, I would be always very careful about that.

"But to be honest I am so shocked I just don't know where to start."

Once the test is taken, the results are forwarded to the Irish Sports Council and they then inform the national governing body one way or the other.

In the case of a positive test the "B" sample can be tested by the individual but there has never been a situation where there was a difference within reason between the samples.

A former scholarship student at Providence College she was the first athlete from Providence to win an NCAA title Hendricken returned to Ireland to help on the farm when her father died.

She later went on to get an MA in Exercise Physiology at Trinity College and, while she was teaching at the same time, she did not have much time for training.

Last year, however, she bounced back to set a whole series of personal best performances over 800m, 1,500m and the mile and ended up running 4:02.08 for 1,500m at the Grand Prix final in Paris, where she finished third. The only other Irish female athlete to better that was Sonia O'Sullivan, who set the Irish record at 3:58.85 back in 1995. She was hoping to improve on that performance during the coming season with the world outdoor championships in Paris in August as her priority.