Michael O’Reilly Irish boxer kicked Out of Rio Olympics And Faces Two Year Ban

By Tim Parsons-

Irish boxer Michael O’Reilly has been ejected from the Olympic games in Rio, Brazil, after failed drugs test which led to his removal from the Games. He has also been banned from the sport for two years.

In a statement on Tuesday,  23 year old Michael O’Reilly, a 2015 amateur European gold medalist champion, said he unintentionally took a supplement that may have contained a banned substance. This is always the defense given by boxers who fail drugs test.

Strangely, the 23 year old boxer has said he will not contest the initial suspension imposed on him. This makes no sense for one claiming to be innocent of such a serious allegation, to claim they do not want to contest it. A statement from the Irish Athletic Boxing Association, read:

“Michael has now left the Olympic Village,” said an Irish Athletic Boxing Association statement.

“He will have no further involvement in the Rio Olympic Games. The Olympic Council of Ireland will be making arrangements for him to return to Ireland as soon as possible.”

The news is a blow and disgrace to the 75 kg boxer whose amateur resume was impressive up until this point. He didn’t need to have any banned substance in his system, and had a reasonably good chance of success without drugs.  Boxers who take drugs do so to have an edge against their opponents, as banned substances often boost their level of aggression, speed, phenomenally increases their resistance to tiredness.

CRITICISM

The IABA statement criticized last year’s European Games gold medalist for taking a supplement without consulting its medical staff.

“Educating athletes of the risks proposed by supplements is provided to all our boxers as part of the high performance programme.

“The IABA is fully committed to the Irish anti-doping rules. Michael’s adverse test result initiated a process as set out in those rules.

“This process remains underway and until it is completed we are not in a position to comment further”.

O’Reilly claims to have been given the unnamed supplement “by someone unrelated to his team or association”.

The middleweight was tested before traveling to Brazil and said he disclosed at the time that he had taken the substance.

Michael O’Reilly released a statement in which he apologized to his fellow boxers, team-mates, the Irish Athletic Boxing Association, Sport Ireland, the Olympic Council of Ireland and “all those who have supported” him.

His apology is not good enough, if he was aware as it would seem, that he was consuming a substance with banned ingredients in it.  It seems improbable that he would not have known, otherwise he really should be protesting the ban. And if he truly made an honest mistake, he sure has done very little to be convincing of this.

He will consequently lose his annual grant of just over £34,000. World heavyweight Champion, Tyson Fury, was recently accused, alongside his cousin, Hughie Fury, of having a banned substance in his system. He has strenuously denied the allegation and reported to be pursuing a legal suit against the UK Anti Doping Agency.