RTÉ pundits hit out at O’Reilly’s ‘idiotic decision’

There was no sympathy for Micheal O’Reilly among boxing pundits last night.

The Portlaoise BC middleweight admitted he had unintentionally taken a supplement which may have contained a prohibited substance and has subsequently been removed from the athlete’s village in Rio.

O’Reilly looks likely to be subject to a disciplinary hearing in Dublin in the near future where a potential ban could be handed out.

Indeed missing the Olympics and the chance to put his name among Irish boxing greats by securing a medal in Rio will probably hurt more than any future ban.

Despite O’Reilly’s ‘accidental’ claims, RTÉ pundits Bernard Dunne and Mick Dowling were far from sympathetic when discussing the situation.

“He had done the hard part in qualifying for the games and post-qualification, he goes and probably makes the most idiotic decision he has ever made,” Dunne said.

“Unless you are getting something from your national body, he shouldn’t be taking it. Why is he not using the guys who are available to him in the association? Why is he not asking advice of people in the know? He is on the national team. He is a sponsored athlete. He is supplied with all these things. Why is he going outside of that to get stuff?”

Two-time Olympian Dowling expressed similar misgivings.

“In the supplement shops I’m sure there would be some well informed sales assistants but there would also be some people who wouldn’t have a clue what they are giving you,” he said.

As a high-performance athlete you are responsible for what’s in your system – RTÉ analysts discuss Michael O’Reilly https://t.co/9aQpDLw31a

— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) August 9, 2016