Boxing: The Irish Sports Council yesterday made the first formal response to the controversial positive drug test of an Irish boxer. At a press briefing in Dublin, the Council's chief executive John Treacy said that a comprehensive review of the matter is being carried out before any decision on further action will be taken, writes Ian O'Riordan.
"Of course we will do everything in our power to ensure the integrity of our anti-doping programme is upheld," said Treacy. "The Sports Council are the guardians of this programme, and we have the leverage with governing bodies in terms of funding if we feel they are not safeguarding their sport."
The unidentified boxer tested positive for an anabolic steroid during the national championships last January but was cleared following a four and a half month investigation led by the Irish Amateur Boxing Association's (IABA) anti-doping committee.
The boxer had claimed that while staying at the home of a bodybuilding friend, he took a drink from the fridge which he later discovered contained the brand of steroid Winstrol.
After their investigation, the IABA cleared the boxer on the basis that there was reasonable doubt over whether or not he "knowingly and willingly" consumed the banned substance. According to the IABA president Breandan O Conaire, it cost some £4,500 to do a thorough investigation but the matter is now concluded.
There is a problem that many governing bodies are concerned about the potential legal action of athletes who have been sanctioned - an obvious concern for the Sports Council.
However it is not under the Council's remit to "sanction athletes". "It's up to the governing bodies, and that's the same all over the world."
The boxing case is believed to be the first positive test in the country since the programme was launched late last year.
Women's Hockey: The Irish men's and women's squads have been named for the Scottish Hockey Union's centenary four nations tournament in Edinburgh later this month (June 23rd to 25th) where the hosts, Holland and Spain complete the line-up, writes Mary Hannigan.
There are no new faces on either squad but Pembroke Wanderers' Justin Sherriff who scored a hat-trick on his debut against Wales last month, and Kyle Thompson (Banbridge) retain their places after winning their first senior caps in the Celtic Cup. Captain Alan Dowd, fitness permitting, should win his 100th cap in Ireland's second game of the tournament against the Dutch.
Fifteen of the 18 players who made up the Irish women's squad at the Olympic qualifier in March have been recalled. Linda Caulfield and Karen Humphreys were unavailable for selection while goalkeeper Angela Platt was not considered because she will be part of the under-21 squad that competes in the European Nations Cup in Prague next month. Loreto's Avril Copeland takes her place.
Meanwhile, on the club front, Pegasus and Instonians begin their European Club Championship campaigns today in Glasgow and Belfast, respectively. Pegasus are in the A Division of the competition and have been drawn in a fearsome pool with Dutch giants Den Bosch, who they play today, as well as Slough and Kolos Borispol, who provide half the Ukrainian national team.
While Pegasus will do well to avoid relegation to the B Division, Instonians have set their sights on gold and promotion for Ireland to next season's A Division. The Belfast club open their campaign against Slavia Prague today before taking on Swiss side Olten and Belarus champions Stroitel Brest.
IRISH WOMEN'S SQUAD: T Browne, A Copeland, J Burke, C Carey, L Brown, R Kohler, M Logue (capt), C McMahon, L McVicker, K Mills, K O'Brien, C O'Kelly, J Orbinson, D Sixsmith, A Boyles, S Parkhill.
IRISH MEN'S SQUAD: N Henderson, K Thompson, J Black, P Brown, S Butler, N Buttimer, A Dowd (capt), G Goulet, C Jackson, E Lutton, D McAnulty, M Raphael, J Sherriff, D Smyth, I Steen, J Stevenson.
Rowing: The Ireland lightweight four, fresh from their fine achievement of winning bronze at the Munich World Cup regatta, have set themselves a new short term challenge - the Stewards at Henley in three weeks time, writes Liam Gorman.
There they face the prospect of taking on the most famous crew in the world, the British four featuring Steven Redgrave, who is certain to wish to leave Henley in a blaze of glory as he bids for a fifth Olympic gold at Sydney.
This is certainly a brave strategy for the Ireland four of Tony O'Connor, Gearoid Towey, Neal Byrne and Neville Maxwell, whose target is to book a place in Sydney at the Olympic qualifier in Lucerne little over a week after Henley - July 10th to 12th.
It emerged yesterday that the lightweight double of Niall O'Toole and Derek Holland will also be sent to the Lucerne qualifier. The crew failed to reach the objective originally set for them - of proving themselves of the standard at Munich to be on course to take one of the two Olympic qualification places at Lucerne.
In a year where success has followed from setting standards and not deviating from them, this second chance might seem to be a change of course. But team manager Mick O'Callaghan yesterday defended the move, saying that it was the best option available, with the most likely alternative being to send only the four to the qualifier, while this double had a chance.
"I feel that there were signs in Munich of them coming back to form," he argued.
This is a quiet weekend on the domestic front, with only Lagan Scullers regatta pencilled in, but Commercial are holding women's trials at Blessington tomorrow and Sunday. The aim is to put together a lightweight quadruple scull which will go on to Women's Henley next weekend and then, all going well, on to the Lucerne World Cup regatta.
Cycling: The head of the French laboratory which claims to have devised a method of detecting the performance-enhancing drug EPO has said there will be no hiding for doping cheats during next month's Tour de France.
Jacques de Ceaurriz, director of the French National Anti-Doping Laboratory, said: "No cyclist will be able to cheat or hide the use of erythropoietine (EPO).
"We can detect the use of EPO up to three days after its use. The test is quite sophisticated. We need 48 to 72 hours to get the results but our labs can analyse 80 samples a week."
