Nigerian runner provisionally suspended for doping charges hours before her Olympic Semifinal

Photo: Reuters

Nigerian sprinter Blessing Okagbare has been provisionally suspended for doping charges, hours before her semifinal run at the Tokyo Olympics.

She was tested positive for human growth hormone in an out-of-competition test on July 19, said Athletics Integrity Unit, which prompted her suspension.

The results of that test were only received by the track and field's anti-doping body late Friday and after Okagbare had already run in the 100 heats on the opening day of the track competition at the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo. 

Oagbare was informed by the AIU of her suspension on Saturday. She is now allowed to request a test of a backup sample to double-check the result.

The 32-year-old Okagbare won a silver medal in the long jump at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 2013 world championships. She also collected a bronze in the 200 meters at the 2013 worlds in Moscow behind gold medal winner Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who is the favorite for the 100-title in Tokyo.

The women's 100 final is the last event on the Olympic track schedule on Saturday.

Okagbare's suspension comes three days after the AIU announced that 10 track and field athletes from Nigeria were among a group of 20 from various countries who were disqualified from competing at the Olympics because they hadn't met minimum doping test requirements.

Publish : 2021-07-31 11:00:00

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