There were calls for the nullification of Michelle de Bruin's Irish swimming records last night among angry responses from the Irish swimming world to its latest crisis.
Mr Sean Gordon, the Irish Amateur Swimming Association's recording officer responsible for recording swimming times, said he believed justice had been done. "The verdict indicates wrongdoing on the part of the swimmer Michelle de Bruin," he said.
"I have said in the past that Irish records and achievements must be beyond question. Very serious questions are now raised and the IASA cannot continue to hide its head in the sand. "The people of Ireland have been led a merry dance. Not all by accident. Irish national radio and television and elements of the Irish media, purporting to have superior swimming knowledge to the rest of us, have blissfully ignored the obvious and unpalatable in favour of the feel-good factor."
The Minister for Sport and Recreation, Mr McDaid, said the four-year ban was "a personal tragedy" for the swimmer and her family. He was "saddened and disappointed" and hoped the Olympic champion could establish her innocence.
Although one sponsor, Bord na Gaeilge, said it was willing to continue to support her, few in the swimming world came to her defence. But many expressed surprise at the severity of the penalty imposed. The national swimming coach, Mr Ger Doyle, was shocked as he had not expected the ban.
"I thought that FINA would show some sort of leniency. They have never issued a ban for tampering before but from the swimming association's point of view there is nothing we can say except that we have no choice but to accept FINA's decision and uphold their decision because we are affiliated to FINA."
He said that while many Irish swimmers would be shocked "I suppose some will not be surprised. The fact that they have issued a ban means that her name is tarnished. It is another kick in the teeth for swimming in Ireland after the funding announcements this week. This is probably the lowest point swimming has ever been."
Irish international swimmer Donncha Redmond, who has publicly questioned Ms de Bruin's achievements in the past, echoed this concern about Irish records. He said the IASA should remove her records from the time she began making dramatic improvements. These records - in many events - were "far ahead of the norm" and otherwise would not be broken for 10 or 15 years.
`There is probably not much hope as it stands now of a young Irish female swimmer leaving anything behind like an Irish record," he said.
"I'd like to see a concerted effort by the IASA to address the damage she has done to Irish swimming," he added.
The senior swimming coach at the Trojan club, Ms Carole Walsh, said the news would devastate many swimmers. "This is yet another blow to Irish swimming following in the wake of the withdrawal of funding for elite Irish swimmers."
The Olympic Council of Ireland stated only that it had "noted FINA's decision and will discuss the matter at its next council meeting in late September".
Top British swimmer Karen Pickering, who was beaten by Ms de Bruin last summer in the European Championships, said: "It was a bitter-sweet day for swimming."
Bord na Gaeilge said yesterday it was willing to continue to support Michelle de Bruin and would not review this position until the outcome of any appeal against yesterday's FINA decision.
A spokeswoman for the bord said an offer of a new sponsorship contract to Ms de Bruin three months ago still stood. The organisation, which sponsored Ms de Bruin for two years, awaits a response to the offer.
"We understand that she is going to appeal and we consider someone is innocent until proven guilty," said the spokeswoman. There would be no review of its support for Ms de Bruin until after such an appeal, she said.
The terms of Bord na Gaeilge's sponsorship of Ms de Bruin ask her to promote and use the Irish language at every available opportunity, such as when asked questions in Irish or when being interviewed by journalists. She also featured in a Bord na Gaeilge advertising campaign in 1996.
A spokesman for the international courier company TNT Express said they had ceased sponsoring Ms de Bruin last August and had no comment to make.