TEAM IRELAND BOXING coach John Conlan has launched a scathing attack on disgraced boxer Michael O’Reilly, after the Portlaoise boxer was sent home from the Olympics for failing a drug test in the build-up to the Rio showpiece.
O’Reilly claims he unintentionally took a supplement that may have contained a prohibited substance, but Conlan was in no mood for showing any sympathy towards the 23-year-old when he spoke to RTÉ earlier today.
“There is no getting away from it. It has embarrassed us as a team.
“He embarrassed Irish boxing and brought a terrible thing to Irish boxing. We are very strict on anti-doping. We bring them to seminars and educate them constantly. We have zero tolerance. We were always ahead of everyone else,” Conlan said.
“Michael O’Reilly hadn’t been with us for eight weeks. We met him at the airport. And it was a big big shock to the team.”
Conlan was in the corner as his son Michael delivered a clinical performance to progress to the Olympic quarter-finals, and he knows the pressure is on as the world and European champion, as well as Katie Taylor, who starts her campaign tomorrow.
“This has been a very, very difficult week, possibly nearly two weeks for Irish boxing. We had that whole scandal that shocked us as a team. We sat down and we talked it out and we focused on the reasons why we were here.
“The boys got off to a great start and then we had those split decisions, which we felt could have went their way. A couple of warnings and a standing count that wasn’t a count.
“And that has an effect on everybody. And Michael too was sitting watching that every day as he came to support his comrades.
“Michael really wants this gold medal and he came through all that pressure and he put in a very strong performance.”
But Conlan was also quick to praise the support the team has received since the news broke about O’Reilly’s failed drug test almost two weeks ago.
“Inside our own little unit as a team, we tried to just put a big wall around it. We had good support from Dublin, from the IABA (Irish Athletic Boxing Association), and the IOC (Irish Olympic Council) have been fantastic. But the boys here have been fantastic.”
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