Suspended Lombard is 'likely' to lose record

The Athletic Association of Ireland has announced it is to suspend the Cork athlete who was caught taking performance enhancing…

The Athletic Association of Ireland has announced it is to suspend the Cork athlete who was caught taking performance enhancing drugs after receiving a statement from the athlete.

The Association said Cathal Lombard had waived both his right for the analysis of the 'B' sample,, and his right to a hearing and accepted the suspension.

Lombard has now been provisionally suspended and the AAI expects a two-year suspension to follow.

He is also "very likely" to be stripped of his national 10,000m record.

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Lombard, 28, who tested positive for the banned substance EPO in an out-
of-competition test, shaved 13 seconds off the Irish record earlier this
season.

The solicitor from Cork was forced to return home from his Olympic training camp last night after confessing he had knowingly taken the drug and now faces further humiliation if the title is withdrawn.

Mr Pierce O'Callaghan, spokesman for the Athletics Association of Ireland (AAI),
said: "It's very unlikely that the record will stand in light of these
tests."

Lombard could also face prosecution for importing the performance-enhancing drug. Under regulations introduced last year, it is an offence to import a prescription-only product such as EPO into Ireland by mail order.


Lombard has admitted sourcing EPO on his own without the knowledge of his
coach.  The banned substance is widely available from Internet websites.