Al Guy will not relish the new found notoriety he has acquired courtesy of a few hours spent in the company of Michelle De Bruin.

Along with his wife Kay, Mr Guy carried out the random drug-test at the swimmer's Kilkenny home in January, the results of which have spawned the current crop of allegations. He was also one of the officials on a panel which found British runner Diane Modahl guilty of drug-taking almost five years ago. That verdict was later overturned in an appeal.

His involvement in both cases was dubbed a "bizarre connection" in a British tabloid yesterday. In the ensuing debate, this connection, bizarre or otherwise, has threatened to overshadow what amounts to a lengthy and illustrious sporting life.

"He is hugely respected and admired for his professionalism and expertise, even more internationally than at home," was the opinion of more than one acquintance when asked about the 56year-old.

His interest in sport spans 45 years when, as an 11-yearold, he joined Marian Athletic Club in his hometown of Ennis, Co Clare. Achieving what is described as "an excellent leaving cert" he became a senior customs officer and joined the Clonliffe Harriers Athletic Club in Dublin.

He courted his wife Kay - herself a founding member of the Clonliffe Harriers women's section - while collecting donations house to house to pay off the massive debts of the Billy Morton stadium. They raised £17,900, a huge sum at the time.

His involvement in sporting administration was deepening and he became secretary of the Dublin County Board of the recently founded Irish Athletics Federation (BLE). His wife, a shot-putt and discus thrower, subsequently became the first woman elected to the national executive of BLE.

In 1974, Guy was elected International Secretary of the organisation. Described by one acquaintance as "a phenomenal organiser", he was largely responsible for bringing the world cross country championship to Limerick in 1979. It was the first such championship to make a profit. Two years earlier he had been a key person in organising the European Cup semi-final track and field competitions in UCD where doping control was introduced in Ireland for the first time.

While admired for his knowledge and expertise, particularly in the technical aspects of sport, friends say that his "sharp tongue" and "peculiar sense of humour" have made him unpopular among certain athletes.

"Some did not respond well to him," says a friend. "Other athletes would tell you they had a lot to thank him for."

??????E, Guy put forward an incorrect time - five seconds faster than Treacy had run over the 10,000 metres - ensuring the athlete qualified for the upcoming world championships.

In 1984 he was defeated in the BLE elections by three votes and became more involved in sport at an international level. He holds a variety of honorary and voluntary positions and is currently a council member of the European Athletics Association and a member of the technical committee of the International Amateur Athletics Federation (IAAF). Regarded as a leading authority on sporting stadia and equipment, he is a strong contender to become chairman of the committee during next year's athletics World Championships in Seville. Some acquaintances were surprised to learn this week that he and his wife acted in a drug testing capacity for FINA, the world swimming body. "I didn't know about it before but he seems a natural choice. He is a man of the utmost integrity, and in an almost infuriating way he is a stickler for rules," said a friend. It was this, and his considerable expertise, that made him a natural choice when the British Athletics Federation were choosing a panel to look into the case of Diane Modahl. Until recently the couple were involved in Askay Ltd, a sports distribution company in Sandyford Industrial Estate in Dublin. Guy is also interested in the sponsorship and marketing areas of sport.

The couple live in Goatstown, Co Dublin and have four daughters, one of whom is involved in officiating at sporting events.

Attending a European Council meeting in Warsaw this week, Guy has had time to reflect on the events of the past few days. To think about the January day when he and his wife took a routine random urine sample from Michelle De Bruin. And to marvel at the fact that the task requiring the least expertise of his career has won him the greatest renown.

Michelle de Bruin will return to competitive action this weekend at a high-profile international meet in Sarcelles outside Paris, writes Pat Roche. She will confine her participation to two events, the 100 metres freestyle today and the 800 metres tomorrow. The triple Olympic champion is likely to use the 100 metres as a warm-up swim at a venue where she has met with previous success. She will treat the 800 metres more seriously, looking for an indication of her potential at the distance in view of her expressed intent to attack the Irish men's record at the French national championships at the end of this month.