Olympics - Equestrian: A "shocked and appalled" Pat Hickey has questioned the continued participation of show jumping at the Olympic Games in the wake of the latest doping scandal involving an Irish horse.
The Olympic Council of Ireland (OCI) president expressed his dismay at Denis Lynch's removal from yesterday's final and raised doubts about the sport's long-term future at the event. Lynch was among four riders disqualified after his horse Lantinus tested positive for the banned substance capsiacin contained in the over-the-counter product Equi-Block.
"The OCI are appalled about the situation because scandals like this dog us in every Games," Hickey told RTE television. "I've said before I left Ireland that my wish for these Games was that Ireland would not be involved in any doping scandal of any nature. Unfortunately this has now become a huge embarrassment for the country.
"I think it's a more serious problem for equestrian sport and also for the horse industry in Ireland because there's an International Olympic Committee vote next year on which sports will remain on the Olympic programme and which will go out . . . from what I hear among my IOC colleagues, this sport could be in very serious difficulty for next year's vote."
Hickey, who vowed to launch an immediate investigation into circumstances surrounding the failed test, also claimed that Horse Sport Ireland (HSI) had questions to answer.
"We've had several meetings with them over the past two years and they totally and absolutely assured us that everything was clear, that everything would be perfect. We're not technical experts on horses, that's their function, that's their business," he added.
"We're appalled to have been landed in this situation . . . I'm not a vet, so I just have to go on what they tell us. But certainly there's question marks over Ireland in this whole issue because this is the second time we're in a situation where equestrian sport has to explain themselves."