Olympic silver medallist Blessing Okagbare banned for ten years for multiple anti-doping breaches

Updated 18/02/2022 at 16:18 GMT

Blessing Okagabare, who won silver in the long jump at Beijing 2008 and is the African record-holder over 200 metres, was found to have both used prohibited substances and refused to co-operate with an investigation into her case, leading to a significant suspension that would seemingly end the 33-year-old's athletics career.

Nigeria's Blessing Okagbare reacts after winning her race in the women's 100m heats during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo on July 30, 2021.

Image credit: Getty Images

Blessing Okagbare has been banned from athletics for ten years after committing multiple anti-doping offences.

The Nigerian, who won silver in the long jump at 2008 and is a two-time Commonwealth champion on the track, was found to have both used prohibited substances and failed to co-operate with an investigation into her case.

The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) thus levied two consecutive five-year bans.

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The 33-year-old was initially suspended during Tokyo 2020 after failing a drugs test.

"A ban of 10-year is a strong message against intentional and co-ordinated attempts to cheat at the very highest level of our sport," the head of the AIU, Brett Clothier, said in a statement.

Okagbare, who holds the African Record over both 100 and 200 metres, had been tipped as a potential contender in the blue riband sprinting event in Japan, winning her heat in 11.05 seconds.

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However she was withdrawn from the semi-finals after it emerged that she had failed an out-of-competition test on July 19.

Okagbare tested positive for a human growth hormone (HGH) and was charged with three anti-doping offences in October.

Okagabare had denied those charges and now has 30 days to appeal against the decision of the AIU's disciplinary tribunal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

The news comes on the same day that Great Britain were stripped of Tokyo 2020 men's sprint relay silver after CJ Ujah lost his doping case on appeal.

Ujah tested positive during the Olympics.

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