Cathal Lombard retires

I don't see how you can go a win national cross against one of the top Europeans (even if he did have a poor race) and retire two weeks later having said he was going to run Rotterdam.

is he p*ssed off at the controversy and lack of support he has received or has he something to hide. if he retires now he wont have any random drug tests. if you aren't tested you cant fail. maybe im just thinking the worst of him?

Sad. Put out to pasture by small minded irish men who can forgive murder and pillage for years but not a man who came clean about taking EPO to help him reach standards he aspired to. Yes, he cheated. No, he did not cause death or major political unrest.

That's right, Cathal retired, because he was probably fed up with all the negativity surrounding his comeback. Very sad. The man (Cathal) paid for his misdeed, but people would not let him forget.

He proved how good he could be running 'clean' and beating world class runner, A. Cragg, which shows that Cathal is truly a great runner, and much better than people would give him credit for.

This is very sad, because he was making a genuine comeback, and showed what an outstanding runner he is, but now, probably, has come to realize that no matter how fast he runs 'clean' - there will always be those negative people around him who do not let him forget his past. It just became too much for him. The man is human, but people were treating him like a criminal - and yes, he broke the law, but true criminal - he is not.

Those negative people have contributed to this sad state of affairs, and it is really a pity, because we shall never know how fast Cathal could have become.

Very sad ending to a good and genuine comeback. Cathal played by the rules, once he served his sentence, but people wanted to add on 'extra time' to his sentence....Cathal had enough. He is probably deeply disappointed with the Athletics environment now. You have to feel for the poor man. He has suffered enough.

Ghost in Korea (www.gifle.go.kr) apply now, good conditions, c.moulton

Boy you'd think the guy was christ or something by the "support" he gets.

And what may I ask should he expect?

Was he realistic in expecting anything different than what he got?

"Yes he broke the law, but true criminal he is not"

what is a true criminal, if not someone who knowingly breaks the law?

I thought the "negativity" that he got was a lot more dignified than the kick in the balls that I would've loved to have given him...

...And those who support him.

Delighted he's gone. As a drugs cheat, he should never have been allowed to compete again. He only came clean when he was caught.

ghost wrote:

The man (Cathal) paid for his misdeed

Ghost - Since when did taking EPO become meerly a misdeed.

In the distance running community taking EPO is the ultimate offence. Do you absorb anything that is discussed on this website?

Taking the juice requires a very conscious and rationale decison, esp when one decides to import the substance (into two countries) and inject yourself with it. Cathal is an intelligent lad and knew the consequences of his actions. He took the risk and is now paying the very hefty penalty that comes with testing positive.

At a personal level its hard not to feel sorry for him, but as an irish athlete i'm delighted to see the strong message that the athletics community here has sent out to would be drug users.

good luck to Cathal in his life after athletics

You are an absolute joke! How can you justify him returning,

1) How do YOU know he is now clean when running

2) He more than likely has all the benefits his body developed when on EPO, even if he is now clean, such as knowing how to run that fast etc.

3) You do not improve from a shit 5mile road race result a few weeks prior to becoming national champ beating Cragg.

4) Why do you believe he is clean? because he says so, just like he said his massive improvement was from doing extra core/mileage etc.

5)He didn't just suddenly confss you muppet, he got cauught and then confessed, after peoplealreday knew?!!

6) In athletics he is a criminal, he took drugs, which are illegal, making him a criminal. he is most likely still doing them.

It is more than likely he has realsied he cannot continue in the sport whilst still on EPO, as he will definatly be caught. He cannot race at the standarad he is at when on epo as he is not that good, therefore he doesnt want people to see he isn't that good when not on drugs.

And fianlly, how can you even defend a a blatant drugs cheat!!!!!

Cathal who? I've forgotten him already.

Good riddance!!

I find it incredulous that people like 'ghost' can come on here and try to somehow make Cathal the one who is being hard done by. Yes - he is only playing by the ridiculously weak rules that exist for drug cheats that allow them to return to competition after a mere two years (life bans are the way to go) - but did he really expect to be forgiven after the blatant lies he told when he went from a decent club runner to a world class athlete in 18 months??

I raced against the guy in 2004 - when he started his meteoric rise - and I raced against him in many of the preceding years when, to be brutally honest, he wasn't even considered to be a threat by me or others who would be operating at the business end of most races in Ireland and the UK. Then he starts running world class times - taking chunks (not just the odd second) off his pb's in virtually every race - and I wasn't the only one who suspected something was up. And when news came through that he was caught taking EPO I smiled one of those 'I told you so' smiles - that justified every jealous thought I'd had when he started running quicker than anything I had done (and done through sheer hard work and dedication - not by injecting a substance into my arm that would make me run way faster than I could possibly run naturally).

So good riddance Cathal - and for those of you who want to remember him and want to 'forgive' his blatant cheating - then remember him for what he is (and should always have been) - a 30min+ 10k and 14min+ 5k runner!!

yeah yours rent boy

Oh touchy....want some ketchup to go with the chip on shoulder? Get a life

he probably juiced up big for the national championships and wants to go out on a good note, not failing a test

ghost wrote:

This is very sad, because he was making a genuine comeback, and showed what an outstanding runner he is, but now, probably, has come to realize that no matter how fast he runs 'clean' - there will always be those negative people around him who do not let him forget his past.

News flash! As mentioned many times before, this is one of the consequences of taking drugs! There is more to the punishment than the official two year suspension and anyone who still has yet to understand this is, well, basically an idiot. Have you grasped this concept?

I wonder if he actually tested positive again and was given the ultimatum of retiring or having another public humiliation. My bet is that he was juiced again. How else would a 29min guy (withough EPO) beat Cragg?

This is encouraging!

He only got to the level where he could think about beating Cragg by taking performance-enhancing drugs. His return showed how drugs could help someone's career immensely even if they were suspended for 2 years. There is no way he would have made those improvements without the juice.

Let's keep it up, anti-drug advocates!

Perhaps by hard work, a modicum of talent, commitment to the task, and some intelligent planning. Yes, he did do wrong and was caught and punished. But, given that the comparisons are being made with Lombard versus Cragg a few weeeks ago - who is saying that Cragg is clean? I think he is ... but who knows, so don't anyone come on and pontificate about Lombard being juiced up when nobody on this forum has any idea about who is juiced up and who isn't - anywhere in the world. Anyone who knows, is in the game themself or supporting someone who is.

Finally, if anyone wants to chat to a physiologist or even better a haemotologist you will find that the MAXIMUM benefits of EPO in terms of red cell production are approximately 100-120 days, as the said red cells begin to die off/disappear during that turn around time. The body does not do as it ordinarily does, replace like for like, it replaces only to the previous homestatic norm (that is the pre-EPO norm). Therefore, long-term benfits are negligible.

It's a pity Cathal did not resort to living at altitude, buying an altitude tent, or afford to train and live in a hypobaric chamber because the benefits are the same and we would not be debating this issue now. He took the wrong option and was punished for it. I'm glad he came back and won clean (or as clean as anyone else) as it shows what can be done clean.

Everything this guy does is suspicious as hell. Don't let the door hit you on the ass....

Cragg was like 15 seconds ahead of a guy that probably broke 31 (Clohissey)... PB of 14 25 on the 5 K.

Your argument makes no sense... Allistair was in a terrible day on a course that didnt suit him.

Upset wrote:

so don't anyone come on and pontificate about Lombard being juiced up when nobody on this forum has any idea about who is juiced up and who isn't - anywhere in the world.

Are you telling the forum that we can't discuss someone (Lombard) who not only was caught cheating but admitted it since there always exists some vague unknown about who else might be cheating? One side is proven fact, the other is just conjecture, but you seem to be equating the two.