Athletics: Okagbare Hints On Next Move After Doping Ban From Athletics Integrity Unit

Nigerian sprinter Blessing Okagbare may challenge the decision of the Athletics Integrity Unit who handed her a 10-year ban for doping violations.

She hinted on twitter while reacting to the ban lay on her on Saturday.

She wrote, “My attention has been drawn to the statement issued by the AIU regarding its disciplinary panel decision. My lawyers are currently studying it for our next line of action which we will inform you soon.”. The AIU in a statement on Friday stated that after the completion of investigations, it came to the conclusion that the 33-year-old had taken multiple prohibited substances, Okagbare was provisionally suspended at the Olympics after her blood samples returned positive for a banned substance – human growth hormone which led to her missing the 100 meters semi-final at the Olympics in Tokyo. The AIU had revealed that she had tested positive for the prohibited substance in an out-of-competition test on July 19, 2021. But on Friday, her 10-year ban was confirmed by the body. However, it was recalled that Okagbare 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. Meanwhile, Okagbare, a celebrated sprinter in Nigeria won an Olympic bronze medal at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing in the long jump event. She has also achieved reasonable success in sprints. Okagbare, according to the AIU has 30 days to appeal the ban at the Court of Arbitration for sports.