Nigerian sprinter Nzubechi Grace Nwokocha has been banned for three years after testing positive for the anabolic agents Ostarine and Ligandrol, as confirmed by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) on Friday.
Nwokocha, who had clinched a gold medal in the 4x100m relay at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, admitted to the doping violation and accepted the three-year suspension, the AIU said.
Consequently, her results from August 3, 2022, to September 2, 2022, have been disqualified, including her Commonwealth Games gold medal.
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This incident marks the latest in a series of doping scandals involving Nigerian athletes. In 2021, Blessing Okagbare, who had secured gold in the 100m and 200m at the Commonwealth Games, was banned for 10 years due to multiple performance-enhancing drug violations.
More recently, Divine Oduduru faced a six-year ban for doping violations.
Official statement on Nwokocha’s case
The statement issued by the AIU on Friday read in part: “The AIU, the Athlete and the World Anti-Doping Agency (“the Parties”) subsequently entered into a Case Resolution Agreement in accordance with Rule 10.8.2 ADR pursuant to which the Athlete acknowledges that she has been found to have committed ADRVs under Rule 2.1 and Rule 2.2 of the CGF ADR (and the ADR) by virtue of the CGF Decision, which is final and binding upon her;
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“The Athlete agrees to be sanctioned with a period of Ineligibility of three (3) years; the Parties agree that taking into consideration the criteria in Rule 10.8.2 of the ADR, the period of Ineligibility shall commence on the date of Sample collection, i.e., 3 August 2022. Therefore, the period of Ineligibility shall be in effect until, and including, 2 August 2025; and in accordance with Rule 10.10 of the ADR (and to the extent that any results are not already disqualified by operation of the CGF Decision), the Athlete’s competitive results from 3 August 2022 until the date of the Provisional Suspension imposed by the AIU viz. 2 September 2022 are Disqualified with all resulting consequences, including forfeiture of any medals, points and prize money/prizes.”