February 19, (THEWILL) – Blessing Okagbare, the Nigerian sprinter in the middle of a doping charge, has been banned for a total of 10 years by the Disciplinary Tribunal of World Athletics, according to the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) statement released on Friday.
Of the 10-year ban, five years were for the possession and usage of several prohibited substances and five years for refusing to cooperate with the AIU’s investigation into her case.
The case’s sole arbitrator determined that the athlete’s use of multiple prohibited substances as part of an organised doping regimen in the run-up to the Tokyo Olympic Games was egregious conduct that amounted to aggravating circumstances under the Rules, necessitating an additional period of ineligibility beyond the standard four-year sanction.
The sole arbitrator also recognised the AIU’s power to conduct investigations, including the imaging of electronic devices, and to apply fines when an athlete refuses to cooperate with an inquiry, obstructing the AIU’s capacity to defend the sport’s integrity.
The arbitrator in this case decided that the athlete’s reluctance to cooperate had deprived the AIU the opportunity to discover evidence of probable subsequent rule violations by her as well as possible rule violations by others, for which he imposed a five-year extra sentence.
Brett Clothier, Head of the AIU, reacted to the decision saying it was a clear message of the organisation’s zero tolerance: “We welcome the decision of the Disciplinary Tribunal; a ban of 10-year 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.”
As THEWILL reported, Okagbare was charged by the AIU in respect to separate disciplinary matters on October 7, 2021.
On July 31, 2021, she was temporarily suspended for the presence and usage of numerous (two) illegal drugs (human Growth Hormone (hGH) and recombinant erythropoietin (EPO)). Okagbare was then accused for refusing to cooperate with the AIU’s inquiry into her case, as per Rule 12 of the World Athletics Anti-Doping Rules.
The athlete has the opportunity to challenge the Disciplinary Tribunal’s verdict, if she believes the judgement to be in error and she can prove her innocence.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
