Michael O’Reilly receives four year fight ban

Michael O’Reilly has been banned from amateur boxing for four years.

The gifted middleweight became the first Irish boxer to be sent home from an Olympic Games after it was revealed he tested positive for banned substances methandienone.

As a result the Portlaoise fighter who was a genuine gold hope wasn’t allowed compete in Rio and was sent home from the 2016 Olympics.

Sport Ireland and the IABA confirmed the ban today confirming  “the Irish Sport Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel has sanctioned Mr Michael O’Reilly for the commission of an anti-doping rule violation.

“Mr O’Reilly, an international level boxer who was part of the Irish boxing team for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, has received a period of ineligibility of four years for testing positive for methandienone.”

“Mr O’Reilly was tested on 11 July 2016. Mr O’Reilly was notified of the positive test result on 4 August 2016 and he was provisionally suspended from 5 August 2016.”

O’Reilly and his representative have lodged an appeal. The case will now go forward to the Court of Arbitration for Sport