Cián O'Connor (born 12 November, 1979, Dublin) is an Irish equestrian, who won a show jumping gold medal at the 2004 Olympics which was later stripped from him due to drug offences.
2004 Olympic Games
Riding his horse, Waterford Crystal, he became an instant national hero, being the only Irish medalist that year. However, on 8 October, 2004, it emerged that Waterford Crystal had tested positive for a prohibited substance. Components of the 'B' sample were stolen, as were documents from the Irish Equestrian Federation offices. However, the B blood sample also tested positive for prohibited, but not performance enhancing, substances, which had been prescribed to the horse some time earlier. The Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI) ruled that O'Connor must be stripped of his medal and he also received a three month ban from competition. On 10 June, 2005, O'Connor's solicitor filed an official waiver of appeal in the FEI which made the Judicial Committee’s decision of 23 May official. O'Connor lost his gold medal in favor of Brazilian showjumper Rodrigo Pessoa and the Irish Show Jumping Team was disqualified by the Olympic Board. Their seventh place was inherited by the Italians.
Family and personal life
On June 19th 2002, Cian's girlfriend at the time, Hazel O'Callaghan, (daughter of property tycoon, Owen O'Callaghan) was critically injured while trying to unload a horse from a trailer. the horse shied, throwing Hazel off the ramp of the aforementioned trailer. A fortnight later, she died in Dublin's Beaumount Hospital aged 22. O'Connor's maternal grandfather was the famous Irish rugby international Karl Mullen. He is godson to Tony O'Reilly. Model Pippa O 'Connor is his sister who is dating Andy Quirkey.
- Ireland at the 2004 Summer Olympics
- Equestrian at the 2004 Summer Olympics
- List of Irish sports people
