By Victor Kanayo
Another Nigerian athlete Grace Nwokocha has been officially slammed with a ban after getting involved in doping.
According to the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) in a statement, Nwokocha, a sprint czar has incurred a three-year suspension from competing.
AIU Statement
Part of the AIU statement reads, “The AIU, the Athlete and the World Anti-Doping Agency (“the Parties”) subsequently entered into a Case Resolution Agreement in accordance with Rule 10.8.2 ADR pursuant to which the Athlete acknowledges that she has been found to have committed ADRVs under Rule 2.1 and Rule 2.2 of the CGF ADR (and the ADR) by virtue of the CGF Decision, which is final and binding upon her;
“The Athlete agrees to be sanctioned with a period of Ineligibility of three (3) years; the Parties agree that taking into consideration the criteria in Rule 10.8.2 of the ADR, the period of Ineligibility shall commence on the date of Sample collection, i.e., 3 August 2022. Therefore, the period of Ineligibility shall be in effect until, and including, 2 August 2025; and in accordance with Rule 10.10 of the ADR (and to the extent that any results are not already disqualified by operation of the CGF Decision), the Athlete’s competitive results from 3 August 2022 until the date of the Provisional Suspension imposed by the AIU viz. 2 September 2022 are disqualified with all resulting consequences, including forfeiture of any medals, points and prize money/prizes.”
She has now become the third Nigerian to face a ban after the global athletics body hit Divine Oduduru and Blessing Okagbare with same in recent times.
Nwokocha’s Offence, Punishment
AIU said Nwokocha, who won gold in the 4x100m relay at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, tested positive for Ostarine and Ligandrol, two anabolic agents, in a sample collected on August 3, 2022.
The athletics body said already Nwokocha has admitted to the doping violation and accepted the proscribed sanctions
Also, her results from August 3 to September 2, 2022 have been disqualified, including her gold medal from the Commonwealth Games.
