Olympics: Ireland's Arthur Lanigan-O'Keeffe is set to compete in the modern pentathlon at London 2012 after Polish competitor Lukaz Klekot tested positive for a banned substance.
Klekot’s positive test for Melhylhexaneemine came at the 2012 national championships. He has been withdrawn from Poland’s Olympic squad with immediate effect by the national Olympic committee, the sport’s governing body UIPM confirmed on their website.
The development means 20-year-old Lanigan-O'Keeffe, an elite sports scholarship student at UCD, will join Natalya Coyle on Ireland’s modern pentathlon team.
After placing 20th at World Cup 2 in Brazil and 24th at the World Cup in China, the Kilkenny athlete narrowly missed out on qualification.
Ireland’s modern pentathlon manager Lindsey Weedon said today his late inclusion is "great news for our sport in Ireland."
She added: "Arthur has done exceptionally well and just failed to gain his Olympic berth directly. With the withdrawal of the Polish competitor, Arthur’s Olympic dream has come true"