Former Word Champion Eamonn Coghlan has revealed the recent athletics scandals have diluted his love for the sport.
"I've lost my emotional ties to athletics, as a result of the scandals that have emerged in the last year or so, and there may be more", the Dubliner told Off The Ball.
The 63-year-old told Ger Gilroy that the crises sporting bodies are undergoing around the world has effected his passion for sport. "The scandals in other sports, I've just been so disenchanted by the whole thing."
Coghlan laid some of the blame for the crisis in athletics on the IAAF, who have come under criticism from all sides over their handling of the Russian scandal. "We find out the that powers that be who are there to protect our athletes, particularly clean athletes, they're the ones that let us down the most."
The Rio Olympics is less than 100 days away, but the three-time Olympian revealed he hasn't even focused on what is going to happen in Brazil later this year. "I actually at this point in time dont event think about the Rio Olympic Games. Before, I'd be all exited. I'd be clued in to the races that are going on. I'd be reading about it, and I've just lost my emotional ties with it."
"In fairness to the clean athletes out there, I still will be excited by the Games when they come about. I will be cheering for them, even though you don't know who they are going to be."
The former Senator told Off the Ball he wishes that the recent scandals will finally push the IAAF into cleaning up athletics, however long it takes. "I just hope what has emerged in the last couple of months is probably the straw that broke the camel's back in regards to the IAAF, and them for the first time ever, really cleaning it up".
You can see Eamonn on Super Fit Seniors on Setanta on Monday nights at 7.30. In the show, he meets some of Ireland’s oldest athletes, challenge himself to conquer their sports, and discover their secret to performing at such a high level despite their age.
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