Lombard to meet Athletics Ireland officials

Irish athlete Cathal Lombard is due to meet officials from Athletics Ireland today to formally respond to his positive drug test.

The 28-year-old Corkman admitted in an Irish Examiner interview yesterday that he had taken the performance-enhancing drug EPO, saying he just wanted to be more competitive.

He tested positive for the banned substance in Switzerland last month. Lombard flew home to Cork last night after leaving the Italian training camp where he had been preparing for the Athens Olympics.

The middle-distance runner was due to represent Ireland in the 5,000m and 10,000m events.