Bernard Dunne and Mick Dowling had little sympathy for Michael O'Reilly following his statement confirming his unintentional use of a banned substance. The former in particular was not a little angry.
The most frustrating line in O'Reilly's statement was his disclosure that he had ingested the banned substance via a supplement that had been provided to him by someone 'unrelated to his team or association.'
Dunne expressed incredulity at the decision.
Unless you get something off your national body, you shouldn't be taking it. Why? Why is he not using the guys that are available to him within the association? Why is not asking advice from people in the know? He's on the national team. He's a carded athlete. He's a sponsored athlete. He's supplied with all these things. He has access to all these different individuals, be them nutritionists, be them dieticians, be them doctors. Why is he going outside of that to get stuff?...
What Dunne found most 'incredible' was that O'Reilly had already done the difficult part in qualifying for the games.
He's done the hard part in qualifying for the games. And post-qualifying, he goes and makes the most idiotic decision he will have ever made.
Dowling also chipped in, saying he couldn't understand why O'Reilly go outside the association in search of supplements.
Why Michael would have taken the chance to accept this stuff from a guy selling it out the boot of his car or some guy behind the counter in a supplement store. It beggars belief that he would do that.
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
Maloney went on to ask Dunne whether the saga had hurt Ireland's boxing reputation. Dunne said bluntly that it has.
It's damaged us. We're Ireland's most successful sport in the Olympics. We've had a great reputation.
In his statement, O'Reilly apologised to the Irish boxers, the rest of Olympians in Team Ireland, Sport Ireland and OCI. Dunne said that he had let the Irish people down.
He's let the people of Ireland down. More than anybody, he has let himself down.
The pair were speaking before David Oliver Joyce's fight with highly rated Azerbaijan fighter Albert Selimov. Joyce was soundly beaten on a unanimous decision.
