Michael O’Reilly, the Irish boxer, has become the first athlete at the Rio Olympics to test positive for a banned substance.
The Portaloise-born middleweight failed a drugs test administered by the Irish Sports Council prior to flying to Brazil with the rest of the Republic of Ireland squad.
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O’Reilly has been provisionally suspended from competing at the Games, which officially start on Friday, and is reportedly planning to challenge the decision, according to RTÉ.
The 23-year-old, who won gold at the European Games in 2015, can request to have his ‘B’ sample tested but, under Irish anti-doping regulations, he cannot participate until an investigation has been carried out.
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O’Reilly was scheduled to take to the ring next Friday, having received a bye to last-16 of men’s middleweight competition.
In the hours after suspension was confirmed, O’Reilly appeared to suggest that he would fight as scheduled, writing on Twitter: “Box on the 12th in the last 16 against the winner of Mexico or Iraq.....”