Furious Olympics boss 'sick and tired' of drugs scandals
Olympic Council president Pat Hickey and FAI chief John Delaney at the Darren Sutherland bout in Beijing yesterday.
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IRISH Olympic boss Pat Hickey last night launched a withering attack on the show-jumping industry in Ireland.
Hickey told the Irish Independent he was "sick and tired" of Ireland's name being dragged through the mud after another drug scandal.
And he suggested the positive test for Denis Lynch's horse, Lantinus, could have "very serious repercussions for the entire equine industry in our country".
Hickey flew from Beijing to be at Thursday night's finals, believing Lynch to be in with chance of a medal.
"Within three quarters of an hour of landing in Hong Kong, word came through that there had been a positive test for an Irish horse," the OCI President said.
"I hung around until the facts of the case were confirmed. Then I flew straight out again, because there was a force 13 typhoon closing in."
He now believes that show-jumping could be dumped from the Olympic Games altogether, given the drugs scandals now running through the sport's history.
An International Olympic Committee meeting in Copenhagen next October will consider applications from five new sports for inclusion and Hickey believes there is a real danger that showjumping might now be dropped.
"Unless these people get their act together, they have a very serious problem," he said.
"I was asked before coming to Beijing what my wish for these Games was and I answered that it would be Ireland going through the three weeks without being tainted by any hint of doping.
"I am sick and tired of our name being dragged through the mud like this. Yesterday, my IOC colleagues were continually making reference to what they called 'another scandal for Ireland'."
Hickey revealed that the OCI had two "very important" meetings with Horse Sport Ireland before travelling to the Beijing Olympics, at which they were assured that all precautions had been taken to avoid a repetition of the scandal which led to Ireland handing back its only medal from the Athens Games in 2004.
"We take them at their word" said Hickey, adding: "We have no choice because testing is monitored by the individual bodies. Neither ourselves nor the Irish Sports Council have any responsibility whatsoever for testing equestrian sports.
"We are not vets and the subject is so complex it's beyond our expertise.
Investigation
"But we are now launching our own investigation into this case with Horse Sport Ireland. We are not happy with the way the information was recycled to us and the reporting procedure for our Chef de Mission was not adhered to.
"Believe me, we have some very serious questions to ask."
In his role as president of the European Olympic Committees, Hickey revealed that he would ask for a technical meeting to be held on the matter in September, given that three of the countries (Ireland, Norway and Germany) implicated in this week's controversy are European.
"We have to get answers" said Hickey. "The Irish Sports Council is responsible for the testing of athletes and they do a very good job of it. Procedures are followed rigorously. We want the same standards to apply to equestrian sports and, right now, that doesn't seem the case.
"That, to me, must be serious worry to the whole horse industry in Ireland because it seems to be constantly under the microscope these days."
Accreditation
Hickey also explained his position on the controversy over boxing's Director of High Performance Gary Keegan not being accredited for these Games.
He said that it was the Irish Amateur Boxing Association's job to nominate a manager for the Irish team and, as was within their rights, they overlooked Keegan. Yet, the OCI does have the right of veto on any such appointments, a right they chose not to invoke on Keegan's behalf.
"We have never used that right of veto" insisted Hickey.
"We respect the autonomy of each federation and have never moved in to block anyone in this way.
"If the IABA Executive had appointed Gary Keegan, we would have had no issue with that appointment.
"But they didn't. So it's simply a matter for them, not the OCI."
- Vincent Hogan in Beijing
