Olympic Council of Ireland chief: ‘We must act fast on drug test’

It’s not an Olympic sport but if Pat Hickey has his way, he’d be going for gold in the doping test hurdles.

The president of the Olympic Council of Ireland has said the doping scandal that looks set to floor boxer Michael O’Reilly’s Olympic dreams must be cleared up speedily in order to minimise the impact on the other Irish athletes taking part in the Rio games.

Speaking for the first time since news broke that the middleweight medal hopeful had tested positive for a banned substance, Mr Hickey said: “Everybody will ensure to move fast.”

The boxer, 23, was last night expected to formally begin a challenge to the automatic suspension from all sport-related activities that kicked in on Thursday when Sport Ireland notified him of the failed test.

He has two main choices — accept the finding of the test that was carried out before his departure to Rio but seek a hearing to argue it was accidental; or ask for analysis of a still-sealed second sample to see if it confirms the first test.

Pat Hickey

Either way, time is running out for the Portlaoise-based fighter, whose first bout is scheduled for next Friday.

Mr Hickey said he had been in contact with Sport Ireland, which runs the anti-doping programme, and wanted to get things moving quickly.

“Everybody will move very fast because we want to get it out of the way,” he said.

“We will be urging speed in all of this so that it doesn’t disrupt the other members of the team.”

Junior Sports Minister Patrick O’Donovan, who flew to Rio yesterday to cheer on Team Ireland, would not comment on whether he was expecting to meet with Michael O’Reilly when the athletes gathered to receive in person his good luck wishes on behalf of the State.

The Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport said last night: “Sport Ireland, as the anti-doping agency within Ireland, has initiated the appropriate formal process having detected an adverse analytical finding in respect of a member of Team Ireland at the Rio Olympic Games.

“Due process and natural justice must apply.

“Accordingly, it would not be appropriate to discuss any case that is the subject of the formal process.”

Sport Ireland and the Irish Amateur Boxing Association also said they could not comment until the process was complete.

The other seven members of the boxing team, plus the 70 other members of Team Ireland who make up the biggest Irish contingent at an Olympics since 1948, were due to mark the official start of the games last night at the Opening Ceremony in the famed Maracana Stadium, Brazil’s biggest sports arena.

Flyweight boxer and Olympic medalist Paddy Barnes, taking part in his third Olympic games, was chosen to be flag-bearer and lead out the Irish team in the ceremonial parade of nations around the stadium, which was due to begin at midnight Irish time.