Sports bodies and the public taken by surprise

Reaction: sporting world: Unlike the other major drugs controversy to hit Irish sport in recent months - athlete Cathal Lombard's use of EPO - the Irish Sports Council had no idea this was coming.

Yesterday's news that Cian O'Connor's horse, Waterford Crystal, had failed the medication control test at the Athens Olympics caught not only the council by total surprise, but also it seems the entire Irish sporting public.

While it now appears that O'Connor had been aware of the problem for several days and that the Equestrian Federation of Ireland had been notified on Thursday, it was early yesterday when the Sports Council first received any sort of indication that the gold medal won for Ireland in Athens might have to be returned.

Later in the day, the council offered its formal response, with the chief executive, Mr John Treacy - himself a silver medallist in the marathon at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics - referring to the "shock and disappointment" at the findings.

In its statement, the Sports Council confirmed that it had been informed only yesterday by the Equestrian Federation of "a positive result of medication control test on a horse at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games".

Detailing the procedures surrounding the testing at Olympic equestrian events, the statement explained that the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI), the world governing body of equestrian sport, carried out the test.

The Fédération Equestre Internationale has responsibility for the global anti-doping programme for horses in equestrian sports, including at a national level in Ireland.

"This position is recognised and endorsed by the World Anti-Doping Agency," it added. "The Irish Sports Council recognises the role of FEI in this regard and will accept the findings of FEI at the conclusion of the process."

In the meantime, however, the Sports Council admitted that the news was a significant blow to Irish sport: "The council, which condemns the use of prohibited substances and methods in any form in sport, is shocked and disappointed at the findings.

"It recognises that today's news is a major setback for equestrian sport and sport in general in Ireland.

"However, we are conscious that the full facts are not yet known and the process is not complete. Cian O'Connor has expressed devastation at the news and has proclaimed his innocence and determination to clear his name."

Mr Pat Hickey, the president of the Olympic Council of Ireland, was unavailable for comment last night, having travelled to Paris for today's World Cup soccer qualifying match between Ireland and France.

According to the Olympic Council's press officer, Mr Jack McGouran, who also acted as press liaison in Athens, the news had come as a total surprise.

"We haven't been informed of anything either officially or unofficially," Mr McGouran said, "and the first I heard of it was on the news.

"But then we didn't expect to. The line of communication here was from the international federation to the national federation to the Sports Council.

"We expect that the Equestrian Federation will come to us at some stage when they get the full details, but just looking at the rules of the FEI, it does appear that the medal will go."

Both Mr Hickey and Mr Treacy had been present at the Markopoulo Equestrian Centre in Athens on the Friday night six weeks ago when O'Connor won his gold medal.

Just last Wednesday, Mr Treacy and other members of the Sports Council appeared before the Oireachtas Committee on Arts and Sport to address a broad range of issues surrounding Ireland's performances in Athens.

Part of the process was addressing the perception that Ireland had performed poorly.

In his submission, Mr Treacy explained that Athens had in fact surpassed the performances at Sydney four years ago, which was one of two stated ambitions in advance of Athens 2004, primarily on the basis of O'Connor's gold medal.

Also raised then was the issue of funding and Mr Treacy confirmed that Lombard would be asked to return his Sports Council funding (about €18,500) as a result of his failed drugs test. In the light of yesterday's developments, there might be similar implications regarding O'Connor's gold medal.

The Equestrian Federation of Ireland received €828,250 over the past three years towards its Olympic preparations.