Michelle Smith de Bruin issues statement after claims she was being 'written out' of Olympic history

Ireland's first female Olympic gold medalist Michelle Smith de Bruin has congratulated rowing duo Fintan McCarthy and Paul O'Donovan after their Tokyo success this morning.

The 1996 triple gold medal winner issued a statement after it was claimed by an RTE Liveline listener that the swimmer was being 'written out' of Ireland's Olympic history.

Smith de Bruin won three gold medals as well as a bronze at Atlanta, but was banned for four years in 1998 by swimming's governing body FINA for tampering with a urine sample.

She never failed a drug test throughout her career, and was not stripped of the four Olympic medals.

And a Liveline listener made the claim after she was not mentioned during RTE's coverage after McCarthy and O'Donovan's Tokyo success overnight.

Liveline contacted the 51-year-old for comment, leading to Smith de Bruin releasing a public statement in response.

Her statement read: "I just want to congratulate our brilliant rowers, Fintan McCarthy and Paul O'Donovan, on their wonderful achievement in becoming Ireland's newest Olympic Champions. What a stunning performance.

"Twenty-five years ago this week, I became the first Irish woman to win an Olympic Gold medal.

"By the end of that week in Atlanta, I had become a Triple Olympic Champion. It was the culmination of seventeen years training and dedication to my sport.

"Standing on the podium, watching the tricolour being raised and listening to Amhran na bhFiann was and still is, the proudest moment of my life.

"Twenty-five years have passed and people still stop to tell me where they were when I won my medals. I will always be incredibly proud of what I achieved in Atlanta and remain touched by the level of support still shown to me by the people of Ireland."