Nigeria’s 2008 long jump silver medalist Blessing Okagbare has been banned for 10 years for doping, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) announced on Friday.
The 33-year-old, who is also a sprinter, was expelled from the Tokyo Olympics last year before the women’s 100m semi-finals after testing positive for human growth hormone at an out-of-competition test in Slovakia on July 19.
“The Disciplinary Tribunal has banned Nigerian sprinter Blessing Okagbare for a total of 10 years,” read an AIU statement.
“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.
Earlier in the year, Blessing Okagbare, was allegedly identified among the exhibits as US prosecutors begin the trial of one Eric Lira, the self-acclaimed kinesiologist and naturopathic doctor, for providing performance-enhancing drugs to athletes who participated at the Tokyo Olympics.
Okagbare’s alleged inclusion among the evidence built against Lira was announced in a statement released by the US department of justice and titled “first Olympic anti-doping charges”.
Although the two-time African Championships gold medallist is not directly named in the criminal complaint, details suggest Okagbare is the “athlete 1” identified among Lira’s clients.
The details included a series of texts between Okagbare and Lira dated June 22, 2021. The Nigerian was said to have given the kinesiologist “great” feedback on a product after running a then world-record and wind-assisted 10.63 (+2.7) in Lagos the week before.
Okagbare is coached by Rana Reider, who has trained Christian Taylor and Dafne Schippers while Brits Daryll Neita and Adam Gemili are currently part of his coaching group in Florida.