Blessing Okagbare Suspended From Tokyo 2020

Nigeria’s woes at the Tokyo2020 Olympics seems to be unending, as sprint legend Blessing Okagbare has been suspended from the Games after she tested positive for a prohibited substance.

Okagbare,who was billed to participate in the semi-finals of the women’s after competing in the heats race 100m, will no longer compete in the Games.

The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), a unit of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) founded to combat doping in athletics, released a statement stating that the Nigerian veteran had tested positive for Growth Hormone.

According to the AIU, samples collected from Okagbare during an out-of-competition test on Monday, July 19, 2021, returned a positive test on Friday, June 30.

“Growth Hormone is a non-specified substance on the 2021 World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List, and a provisional suspension is mandatory following an adverse analytical finding,” the AIU said in a statement.

Okagbare has been notified of her test result and her provisional suspension.

Her only race had been in the women’s 100m Heat, where she won her Heat to progress to the semifinals.

 Blessing Okagbare finished first in her Heat to progress to the semifinals  (Olympics)

Blessing Okagbare finished first in her Heat to progress to the semifinals (Olympics)

The 32-year-old is the leading face of women sports in Nigeria.

She is an Olympic and World Championships medalist in the long jump and a world medalist in the 200 meters. She also holds the Women’s 100 meters Commonwealth Games record for the fastest time at 10.85 seconds.