Athletics
Breaking! Blessing Okagbare gets 10-year ban 
Nigerian sprinter Blessing Okagbare has been given a ten-year ban from athletics for multiple anti-doping rule breaches by the Athletics Integrity Unit.
Nigerian sprinter Blessing Okagbare has been given a ten-year ban from athletics for multiple anti-doping rule breaches by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU).
The AIU’s Disciplinary Tribunal banned the 33-year-old for five years for the use of multiple prohibited substances and a further five for refusing to cooperate with the organisation’s investigation.
Normally a four-year sanction is applied in such a case but the arbitrator concluded that Okagbare’s offending was part of an “organised doping regimen” in the build-up to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, and warranted a longer period of ineligibility, meaning five years was given for the doping offences.
The arbitrator concluded that the AIU’s right to carry out investigations had been hampered by Okagbare’s refusal to cooperate, and imposed a further five-year ban for this, saying it had denied the organisation the opportunity of uncovering possible further rule breaches by her and by others.
Last month, the US Attorney Office for the Southern District of New York announced the filing of the first criminal charge under the Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act against Texas-based therapist Eric Lira.
It was alleged that Lira obtained performance-enhancing drugs and distributed them to athletes in advance of, and for the purpose of cheating at, Tokyo 2020, with Okagbare named by the arbitrator has the athlete involved in the criminal complaint.
Head of the AIU Brett Clothier said: “We welcome the decision of the Disciplinary Tribunal – a ban of 10 years is a strong message against intentional and co-ordinated attempts to cheat at the very highest level of our sport.
“This is an outcome that was driven by our intelligence-led target testing as well as our commitment to investigate the circumstances behind a positive test.”
Okagbare has 30 days in which to appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
In October 2021, the AIU also pressed charges against Okagbare on two separate disciplinary matters – one for the use of two banned substances – human growth hormone and recombinant erythropoietin, and secondly for refusing to co-operate with the AIU investigation into her case.
Okagbare won a silver medal in long jump at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, and is also a double World Championship medallist – winning silver in the long jump and bronze in the 200 metres at Moscow in 2013.
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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.
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.
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.
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