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WORLD’S FASTEST MAN, COLEMAN IS SUSPENDED!

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World’s fastest man Christian Coleman is suspended and faces a two-year ban for missing three drugs tests in a year – but he blames testers for failing to call him while he was out shopping!

The Tokyo 2020 Olympics to be held next year may produce new 100 metres champions as current fastest man; America’s Christian Coleman has been slammed with a provisional two-year ban.

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The American says he has been appealing the third test as he was shopping five minutes away

The suspension, which stretches beyond the new dates for the Olympics will see him missing the games.

Coleman missing a third drugs test at the end of 2019 occasioned the suspension. He actually admitted missing the test.

In an astonishing statement, in which he appeared to accuse testers of a ‘purposeful attempt to get me to miss a test’, he detailed how he has collected ‘whereabouts’ strikes on January 16, 2019, April 26, 2019 and December 9, 2019.

The Athletics Integrity Unit has confirmed the 24-year-old has now been handed a provisional suspension, which could extend to a two-year ban if a charge is upheld. The American said he has been appealing the December 9 strike for six months on the grounds that he was ‘shopping five minutes away’ and testers ‘didn’t even bother to call me’. 

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In the rambling social media post, Coleman, who won the 100m world title in Doha under a cloud last year after escaping a previous whereabouts charge on a technicality, accepted in a lengthy social media post that he now faces a possible suspension. If that proves correct, he will almost certainly miss the Olympics.

In detailing the events, Coleman wrote: ‘I want to make you all aware of a situation I’m currently dealing with. A few days ago, the AIU came to a decision that I’ve been appealing for six months that I missed a test on December 9, 2019.

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Coleman is the world 100m champion but he could now miss the Olympics next year

‘And now this might result in me being suspended from other filing failures that occurred well over a year ago at this point.

‘Don’t tell me I “missed” a test if you sneak up on my door (parked outside the gate and walked through…there’s no record of anyone coming to my place) without my knowledge. Knocked while I was Christmas shopping 5 mins away at the mall (I have receipts and bank statements) and didn’t even bother to call me or attempt to reach me. I was more than ready and available for testing and if I had received a phone call I could have taken the test and carried on with my night.’ 

In what seems to be a claim that the authorities were acting against him, Coleman added: ‘I think the attempt on December 9 was a purposeful attempt to get me to miss a test.’

Coleman posted the testing report from December 9, in which it details AIU testers visited his home in Lexington, Kentucky for an hour from 7.15pm. They knocked every 10 minutes and received no answer. Coleman suggested testers may have gone to the wrong house, posting: ‘He put down the wrong address (on the testing report) so who knows if he even came to my spot.’

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Coleman went on: ‘I’ve been contacted by phone literally every other time I’ve been tested. Literally. (I don’t know) why this time was different. He even said he couldn’t hear the doorbell so why wouldn’t you call me?’

Coleman insists he has ‘never’ used performance-enhancing drugs.

Under whereabouts rules, an athlete is expected to list where they will be for an hour of every day. Three missed tests or filing failures in a year will trigger a charge.

Coleman almost missed the world championships last year because of a whereabouts violation only for the US Anti-Doping Agency to drop its charges against him on the advice of the World Anti-Doping Agency.

He controversially appeared to escape punishment in that instance because of a technicality under anti-doping rules, which state the date of a first missed test should be pushed back to the first day of a testing quarter. 

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Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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Athletics

James, Shambaz win Lotus Bank Abeokuta 10m Race

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BY DAPO SOTUMINU

Nigeria’s Francis James and Blessing Shambaz yesterday emerged winners of the 2nd Lotus Bank Abeokuta 10km Race to go home with the winners prize money of $1,000 in a race that was officially flagged off by the First  vice president of the Nigeria Olympic Committee, Chief Solomon Ogba, and supported by Mr. Nadin Khan, the president of the World Ultra Running.

James won the men’s race finishing at 30minutes 11seconds to beat all opponents to consolidate on his victory in Abuja when he finished second best in the half marathon held in the Federal Capital Territory middle of the year.

James also emerged the Nigeria’s winner of the World class half marathon.

It will be recalled that James at his last major race in Abuja finished second place in a national half marathon race. He stressed that he used that race to prepare for the Lotus Bank Abeokuta Race and he was very happy winning the race.

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He stressed that, the victory at Lotus Bank Abeokuta 10m Race has given him the confidence to do better in others races coming up in Nigeria and its an indication, that he’s very close to making history for Nigeria in subsequent marathon races. He added that, Nigerian runners will pull surprise in the others races not minding the attendance of the East Africans.

In second place for the men’s race  is Gyang Raymond at a time of 30 minutes 14 seconds. Gyang got $750 for his effort. While the third place winner is Gyang David Boyi at 30 minutes 54 seconds. Boyi got a cash prize of $500.

In the women 10km race, the runners up that placed second was Daylop Patience at a time of 36minutes 98.28seconds to keep her position in last year’s edition. She got $750.

Third place winner is Agofure Charity at 37minutes 88 seconds.She got $500.

The overall 10km also saw the race by special athletes.

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The route of the Lotus Bank Abeokuta Race wore a very active look this morning with the active presence of Febbs table water, a part sponsor of the event.

The volunteers on each points on the route all had Febbs Water on their hands ready to hand them over the runners. The organisers decorated all the runners that crossed the finish line with gold medals, this added to the fanfare and celebrations at the Alake Palace finish line of the race.

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Athletics

Diamond League raise 2025 prize money to over $9 million

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The Diamond League will increase its prize money to more than $9 million in 2025, the highest in the history of the series, the organisers have said.

Athletes will make a total of $18 million, with top athletes also receiving promotional fees. Male and female athletes will be paid at the same rate, the Diamond League said in a statement.

“The new total is almost a third higher than the sum paid during the pandemic-affected period of 2021-2024,” the statement said, adding that more will be invested in the athletes’ travel, transport, accommodation, medical and physio services.

Each of the 14 Diamond League meets of the 2025 regular season, scheduled to kick off in April, will award a total prize money of $500,000, with the final in August offering $2.24 million.

“The total prize money per discipline will be between $30,000 and $50,000 at the series meetings and between $60,000 and $100,000 at the final,” the statement added.

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The Diamond League’s 2024 season concluded in Brussels last week, with Zurich set to host the 2025 final.

The news comes after World Athletics ended a 128-year tradition by paying Olympic champions at the Paris Games $50,000 each and as rival track events try to muscle in on the circuit long seen as the standard-bearer for professional athletics.

Retired American sprinting great Michael Johnson’s Grand Slam Track will offer prize money ranging from $100,000 for the winner to $10,000 for the eighth-place finisher at each of four “slams” when the league launches next year.

It will distribute a total of $12.6 million in prize money in 2025.

“In a league of our own,” Grand Slam Track wrote in a post on X, opens new tab on Wednesday, with a breakdown of their prize money.

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-Reuters

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

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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.

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