Nigerian sprinter, Blessing Okagbare has on Friday been banned for 10 years for multiple breaches of anti-doping rules, Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) announced.
Recall that the 33-year-old was expelled from the Tokyo Olympics last year before the women’s 100m semi-finals after testing positive for human growth hormone at an out-of-competition test in Slovakia on July 19.
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AIU in a statement on Friday has now said;
The Disciplinary Tribunal has banned Nigerian sprinter Blessing Okagbare for a total of 10 years.
AIU further stated that the sole arbitrator adjudicating the case concluded that Okagbare’s “use of multiple prohibited substances” was “part of an organised doping regimen in the lead-up to the Tokyo Olympic Games.”
It added that this “egregious conduct” led to an increase in the normal four-year sanction.
The 33-year-old, who denied all charges, was given a five-year ban for returning doping tests positive for EPO as well as Human Growth Hormone.
She was then handed an additional five-year ban for refusing to cooperate with an AIU investigation.
“We welcome the decision of the Disciplinary Tribunal. A ban of 10 years is a strong message against intentional and coordinated attempts to cheat at the very highest level of our sport,” said AIU chief Brett Clothier.
Clothier added;
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.
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The latest development comes few months after her chat with arrested ‘drug supplier’ therapist, Eric Lira, was revealed by the United States Justice Department.
Lira, a self-acclaimed kinesiologist and naturopathic doctor, is on trial for providing performance-enhancing drugs to athletes who participated at 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
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Although the two-time African Championships gold medallist is not directly named in the criminal complaint, details suggest Okagbare is the “athlete 1” identified among Lira’s clients.
Okagbare’s alleged inclusion among the evidence built against Lira was announced in a statement released on Wednesday by the US department of justice and titled “first Olympic anti-doping charges”.
In a copy of a document seen by MDB, 33-year-old Okagbare admitted she ran faster after taking a substance given to her by Eric Lira.
Eric Lira, who has been charged to court, was identified as a 41-year-old “naturopathic” therapist based in El Paso, Texas who supplied drugs to two athletes for the “purpose of corrupting” the Tokyo Games.
The chats were discovered when US officials examined a mobile phone in Okagbare’s possession as she re-entered the United States following her ejection from the Tokyo Games.
Messages on Okagbare’s phone also revealed the sprinter had been working with Lira from at least 2020, according to the US court document.
The indictment included encrypted correspondence from Okagbare — identified only as “Athlete 1” — and Lira where the Nigerian testifies to the effectiveness of the substances following Olympic trials in Lagos on June 17, where she clocked a wind-assisted 10.63sec in the 100m.
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Okagbare wrote;
Hola amigo / Eric my body feel so good / I just ran 10.63 in the 100m on Friday / with a 2.7 wind / I am sooooo happy / Ericccccccc / Whatever you did, is working so well.
In a later message, Lira said Okagbare was poised to “dominate” in Tokyo.
“What you did . . . is going to help you for the upcoming events,” Lira wrote. “You are doing your part and you will be ready to dominate.”
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The indictment also included details of further exchanges between Okagbare and Lira after she is informed of her positive test.
“Call me urgently. . . [t]hey said one of my result came out positive on HGH . . . I don’t understand,” Okagbarewrote.
Although Okagbare was not stated as a defendant, the criminal complaint included that the said athlete was suspended a few hours before participating in the semi-finals of the women’s 100 metres race in Tokyo for testing positive for human growth hormone at an out-of-competition drug test “on or before July 19.”
