The Olympic Council of Ireland (OCI) has confirmed an allegation has been made of illegal betting by one member of the Irish team for London 2012, as reported this morning.
A full investigation is under way after an anonymous email sent to the OCI claimed one of those set to compete in London 2012 had twice backed a fellow competitor in a previous competition.
Such a practice is specifically outlawed by the International Olympics Committee (IOC).
Having informed the accused of the allegation this week, the OCI received a letter from the competitor’s solicitor on Thursday, and the matter is now “subjudice”.
The allegation is reported to centre around two bets, totalling €300, allegedly made prior to competition.
It is claimed in the Irish Independent - a report surrounding the allegation the OCI confirmed as "accurate" this morning - that the eventual winner was backed at a price of 12/1 and that the Irish competitor allegedly withdrew a winning sum of €3,600 from a “personal account” after returning from the event.
OCI president Pat Hickey said last night there would be “severe sanctions” for any competitor found guilty of such an offence. “This is fraught with legal issues,” said Hickey, “and, right now, our priority is not to cause any unnecessary upset to the competitors”.