Fagan faces ban after failing drugs test

ATHLETICS: WITH A quite dreadful sense of timing, Athletics Ireland is braced for another doping scandal in Olympic year – and the inevitable repercussions that come with it.

Although the exact details of Martin Fagan’s “adverse analytical finding” have yet to be disclosed, what is certain is that he has a serious case to answer, is facing a two-year ban, and can kiss goodbye to his aspirations of qualifying for the London Olympic marathon.

All indications last night were that Fagan was caught using the blood-boosting drug erythropoietin – better known as EPO, and one of the most common, although largely out-dated, methods of performance enhancing.