Doping: Other Irish athletes who have been accused

IN 1998, swimmer Michelle Smith de Bruin became embroiled in one of Irish sport's most controversial episodes.

Although she never tested positive for a banned substance, she was found guilty of tampering with a urine sample, which was found to be contaminated with alcohol.

In 1996, she had become the first Irish woman to win an Olympic gold medal and also the first Irish competitor to do so in swimming after her performance at the Olympic Games in Atlanta, where she won three gold medals and a bronze.

But the controversy cast major doubt over her past achievements, including her three Olympic gold medals.

In June 1999, the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland, upheld the ban.

Her then husband, Erick De Bruin, served a four-year ban during his discus throwing career after testing positive for high levels of testosterone.

Geraldine Hendricken

MIDDLE-DISTANCE runner Geraldine Hendricken was caught following an out-of-competition test last year with traces of an anabolic steroid, 19-norandrosterone, in her system.

She had made a huge breakthrough in 2002, smashing her 1,500m personal best by more than 14 seconds.

The 33-year-old Carlow-based teacher maintains she accidentally consumed the drug via a contaminated nutritional supplement and denied knowingly taking banned substances.

Following an appeals hearing, Athletics Ireland concluded that a doping offence had occurred within the rules and recommended that a two-year suspension be imposed.

Athletics Ireland said the responsibility is on individual athletes to ensure whatever dietary supplements they take are 'clean'.

She is suspended up to March 6, 2005, effectively ending her athletics career.

Frankie Sheahan

MUNSTER rugby hooker Frankie Sheahan tested positive in April 2003 for the prohibited substance, Salbutamol, after Munster's Heineken Cup semi-final game against Toulouse.

Sheahan was subsequently banned from playing until May 2005.

Sheahan, a long-time asthmatic, argued the substance for which he tested positive is found in Ventolin, a medication in inhalers used by asthmatics.

He claimed he had forgotten to tick the appropriate box to inform officials he was using the drug to treat his asthma.

He lodged an appeal with European Rugby Cup and following a hearing in Dublin last September, he successfully cleared his name and the ban was lifted.

His appeal is estimated to have cost in the region of €100,000.