Nigerian athlete, Blessing Okagbare, has been suspended after failing a drug test at the ongoing Tokyo Olympics on Friday July 30.
The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), the independent body created by the World Athletics that manages all integrity issues for the sport, announced the decision. According to the body, Okagbare tested positive for Human Growth Hormone.
“Growth Hormone is a non-specified substance on the 2021 World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List and a provisional suspension is mandatory following an adverse analytical finding for such substance under the World Athletics Anti-Doping Rules.
The AIU collected the sample from Ms. Okagbare during an out-of-competition test on 19 July. The WADA-accredited laboratory that analysed the sample notified the AIU of the adverse analytical finding at mid-day Central European Time yesterday, Friday 30 July.
The athlete was notified of the adverse analytical finding and of her provisional suspension this morning in Tokyo. She was scheduled to participate in the semi-finals of the women’s 100m this evening.
The AIU will make no further comment on this matter at this time.” the AIU said in its statement.
The AIU had already disqualified 10 Nigerian athletes from Tokyo 2020 having failed to undergo the mandatory three out-of-competition tests in the run-up to the Olympic Games.
The disqualification which many blamed on administrative lapses by Nigeria’s sports ministry and the Athletics Federation of Nigeria drew reactions from many including Okagbare who hit out at sports governance in Nigeria, saying: “I have said it before and I will say it again.
“If you do not know the sport, not passionate about it/us [the athletes], then you have no business there as an administrator.
“The sport system in Nigeria is so flawed and we athletes are always at the receiving end of the damages.”
Okagbare is the most experienced among those competing in athletics for Nigeria in Tokyo.
She made her Olympic debut in Beijing 2008 where she won a silver medal in the Long Jump and subsequently competed at both the London and Rio Olympic Games.
