There has been a new twist in the doping saga surrounding Irish Olympic boxer Michael O'Reilly as reports are emerging that O'Reilly has decided to have his 'B' sample tested.
O'Reilly had initially opted to just appeal the ban placed on him for having returned a positive 'A' sample. There was some speculation that this could because it would be a quicker process than getting the 'B' sample tested, thus resulting in a greater chance of O'Reilly being able to compete in his opening round of 16 bout on Friday.
However, O'Reilly is, RTE report, going to submit his 'B' sample for analysis. This would indicate that he disputes the actual result of the 'A' sample. While someone appealing would perhaps suggest that while they admit taking a banned substance, there was some mitigating factor at play that caused them to take it inadvertently or through no fault of negligence of their own.
O'Reilly now faces an anxious wait, as he is banned from competing until the results of the 'B' sample emerge. Meanwhile, he has been separated from the rest of the Irish boxing team, who got off to a successful start with Steven Donnelly and David Oliver Joyce winning their opening bouts.
[RTE]
