Athletics

Britain to lose Olympic silver medal over Nigerian – born British athlete, Ujah’s doping

Published

3 years ago

August 13, 2021

Britain’s silver medal from the Tokyo 2020 Olympics in the men’s 4×100 metres relay could be stripped after its sprinter CJ Ujah was provisionally suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) as two banned substances were present in his system after the Games.

Chijindu “CJ” Ujah is of Nigerian parentage. An Adverse Analytical Finding (AAF) showed up for the 27-year-old, testing positive for investigational selective androgen receptor modulators ostarine and S-23, which are regularly used as a male hormone contraceptive and as treatment for muscle wasting and osteoporosis respectively.

The sprinter became a relay world champion in the same event at the 2017 World Athletics Championships in London.

Ujah’s sample could cost his three team mates – Zharnel Hughes, Richard Kilty and Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake – their silver medals won in the men’s 4x100m relay.

Mitchell-Blake was pipped on the line by Italian Filippo Tortu for the gold medal on the anchor leg.

If Britain are disqualified, the Canadian quartet Aaron Brown, Jerome Blake, Brendon Rodney and Andre De Grasse would move into the silver medal position, while China’s Tang Xingqiang, Xie Zhenye, Su Bingtian and Wu Zhiqiang would move into bronze.

Ujah was one of three track and field athletes to test positive for banned substances at the Games, following testing from the International Testing Agency (ITA) during Tokyo 2020.

A fourth athlete, Bahraini 1500 metres runner Sadik Mikhou, has been provisionally banned for a prohibited method – a blood transfusion.

The others who have been given provisional suspensions are Georgian shot putter Benik Abramyan and Kenyan sprinter Mark Otieno Odhiambo.

The AIU and the ITA worked together during the Olympics and provided intelligence to specifically target test two of the four athletes, who they have not named.

Proceedings against these athletes are now underway to determine if they have committed anti-doping violations.

If they are found to be in breach of anti-doping rules, their results at Tokyo 2020 could be wiped.

Moroccan-born Mikhou, who represents Bahrain following an allegiance change in 2017, was found to have had a blood transfusion when tested.

Blood transfusions in athletes are associated with blood doping, a practice that boosts the number of red blood cells to improve an athlete’s aerobic capabilities.

He failed to make it out of the heats of the men’s 1500m, finishing eighth in the second race in a time of 3min 42.87sec.

A British Olympic Association spokesperson told insidethegames: “We are aware of the Athletics Integrity Unit statement, and the BOA will respect due process in this matter.”

A UK Athletics spokesperson told insidethegames they would not be making any comment on live cases.

Athletics

Record 6000 runners register for 2nd Lotus Bank Abeokuta 10km Run

Published

2 days ago

September 17, 2024

Kunle Solaja

A record 6,000 runners, local and international from across the African continent and Nigeria have registered for the second edition of the Lotus Bank Abeokuta 10km Run slated for September 28, 2024, as the organisers, Nilayo Sports Management Limited guns for a bronze label status for the race.

The Chief Operating Officer of Nilayo Sports Management Limited, Ebidowie Oweifie, noted that the theme of this year’s edition of the Abeokuta 10km Race titled ‘For Greatness’ out is out to commemorate the birthday anniversary of the Egba paramount ruler, the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo 111, the 10km Run will flag off at Iyana Oloke at 6am and finish at The Alake Palace, Abeokuta.

Kenya’s Peter Nwaniki is the men’s race defending champion at a time of 28 minutes 14 seconds, while Shamila Kipsirir also of Kenya is the women’s defending champion.

Nigeria’s race men’s defending champion is Francis James at 31minutes 08seconds, while the women’s defending champion is Patience Daylop at 36 minutes 31 seconds.

The second edition of Abeokuta10km Race will be sponsored by Lotus Bank, FEBBS Premium Water, Fatgbems Petroleum Limited and Cash Token.

Athletics

Behold, CAS statement on Tobi Amusan

Published

3 months ago

June 29, 2024

Kunle Solaja

Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan is the winner as the Court of Arbitration for Sports, CAS has rejected the appeals filed by World Athletics and WADA.

The decision confirms the decision taken by the World Athletics disciplinary tribunal finding that Tobi Amusan did not commit any anti-doping rule violation.

Here is the full statement of CAS.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has dismissed the appeals filed by

World Athletics (WA) and by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) against the decision issued on 17 August 2023 (the Challenged Decision) by the World Athletics Disciplinary Tribunal (WADT) in relation to the hurdler Oluwatobiloba (Tobi) Amusan (Nigeria).

Accordingly, the Challenged Decision in which the WADT considered that Tobi Amusan did not violate Rule 2.4 of the WA Anti-Doping Rules (WA ADR) and that no period of ineligibility should be imposed on the Athlete is confirmed.

The Athlete was initially charged with committing an Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV) under Rule 2.4 WA ADR following three alleged Whereabouts Failures within a 12-month period.

In their respective appeal to CAS, WA and WADA had sought the imposition of a two-year period of ineligibility. The CAS Panel held a hearing on 19 January 2024. Having deliberated, the CAS Panel has issued its decision today dismissing both appeals. The CAS Panel unanimously acknowledged that the Athlete committed two filing failures but did not confirm the existence of a missed test, alleged by WA and WADA, which would have been the third Whereabouts Failure committed within a 12-month

period. Accordingly, the CAS Panel concluded that the Athlete did not commit an ADRV and that the Challenged Decision should be confirmed.

The reasoned award will be published by CAS unless the parties request confidentiality.

Athletics

Tobi Amusan floors WADA and World Athletics!

Published

3 months ago

June 29, 2024

Kunle Solaja

Nigeria’s Paris 2024 medal hopeful, Tobi Amusan has been cleared as the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) has dismissed the appeal filed by World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the World Athletics.

She is therefore cleared to feature at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Amusan is the 100m hurdles world record holder.

The athlete was charged in July last year with missing three anti-doping tests in 12 months but was cleared of the offence by the Disciplinary Tribunal of the sport’s governing body, World Athletics.

The Integrity Unit of the World Athletics appealed the clearance which has now been dismissed by CAS, the final arbiter in the case.

CAS in its statement remarked that its panel “unanimously acknowledged that the athlete committed two filing failures but did not confirm the existence of a missed test, alleged by WA and WADA, which would have been the third Whereabouts Failure committed within 12 months.”

Amusan set the world record of 12.12 seconds in the world championships in Eugene, Oregon, in July 2022 and went on to win the title.

She finished sixth in the world championships in Budapest last year.

World Athletics’ anti-doping rules say any athlete failing to declare their whereabouts for a doping test on three occasions over 12 months is ineligible to compete for two years.