Nigeria’s sprint queen, Blessing Okagbare, 32, has been slammed with three fresh charges by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU).
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Okagbare was suspended during the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games in Japan for testing positive for human growth hormone in an out-of-competition random tests carried out on 19 July. She was handed four-year ban.
Although she called for the testing of her “B” samples to ascertain her innocence but a statement issued yesterday by AIU revealed that the double Commonwealth Games sprint champion at Glasgow 2014 has again tested positive for another banned substance, recombinant erythropoietin (EPO), which increases red blood cell count.
She has also been charged for not co-operating with the AIU’s investigation.
“The athlete failed to comply with a formal requirement to produce relevant documents, records, and electronic storage devices, which was issued to the athlete by the AIU on 15th September,” the statement said.
Okagbare – a rival to Great Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith – had won her 100m heat in Tokyo before being pulled out of the Games.
Okagbare, Olympic long jump silver medallist in Beijing in 2008; silver and bronze winner at 2013 World Championships in Moscow, has denied all the charges. She is likely to face a lengthy ban from track and field.
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