IRISH boxer Michael O'Reilly has been ruled out of the Olympic Games after issuing a statement on Tuesday night saying that he "unintentionally" took a supplement that "may have" contained a banned substance.
The announcement caps a miserable start to the sporting showpiece for Team Ireland on the back of the surprise defeat of Belfast fighter Paddy Barnes on Monday.
O'Reilly is expected to leave Brazil to return to Ireland within days after making history as the first Irish competitor to be sent home from the Olympics for failing a doping test.
It ends almost a week of uncertainty over his future in the competition, after he was provisionally suspended following the shock news that he had failed a doping test last Thursday.
The fighter, who won a European Olympic gold medal last summer, was not allowed to participate in Friday's opening ceremony after it emerged he had failed a test taken before he flew to Brazil.
Regarded as one of Ireland's medal hopes, the 23-year-old Co Tipperary boxer, who fights out of Portlaoise, initially indicated he would launch an appeal against the suspension.
However, on Tuesday night the Olympic Council of Ireland confirmed: "Michael O'Reilly is no longer contesting the provisional suspension imposed on him on 4 August 2016 and will not compete for Team Ireland at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games."
In a statement issued through his legal representative to RTÉ, the boxer said that the "adverse finding arises out of a matter which was not deliberate or intentional."
It said: "Having received further information, Mr O'Reilly now freely admits that he unintentionally took a supplement that may have contained a prohibited substance. Mr O'Reilly was given this supplement by someone unrelated to his team or association.
"Michael O'Reilly disclosed, at the time of the test, that he had taken the supplement.
The statement concluded: "Mr O'Reilly offers his sincere apology to his fellow boxers, team mates, the Irish Athletic Boxing Association (IABA), Sport Ireland, the Olympic Council of Ireland and to all those who have supported him."
O'Reilly had been due to fight his opening bout on Friday after receiving a bye, but the failed test has put paid to that and will now have wider repercussions.
It is understood that O'Reilly is expected to face a disciplinary hearing in Dublin after the Olympics have finished.
He could face a four-year ban even if he proves the supplement was unintentionally contaminated, due to the strict liability rules covering doping tests.
In a statement, the Irish Amateur Boxing Association said it was "very disappointed" that O'Reilly "may have taken any supplement without consulting the IABA High Performance Support Team."
It said: "Educating athletes of the risks proposed by supplements is provided to all our boxers as part of the High Performance Programme.
"The IABA is fully committed to the Irish Anti-Doping Rules. Michael's adverse test result initiated a process as set out in those rules. This process remains underway and until it is completed we are not in a position to comment further."
