Nigeria At Tokyo Olympics 2020: Sprinter Okagbare Fails Drug Test; Out Of Olympics

Nigerian sprinter, Blessing Okagbare, has been suspended from the Olympics after she failed a drug test.

The Athletics Integrity Unit announced this in a statement that Okagbare, who won her opening heat of the Women’s 100m on Friday, tested positive for human growth hormone after the out-of-competition test.

Okagbare’s suspension is now the latest in a troubling track and field campaign at the Olympics for Nigeria. The AIU announced on Thursday that Nigerian athletes were among 18 competitors barred from competing in Tokyo 2020 Olympics after failing to meet the requirement.

The AIU said the athletes concerned had failed to comply with the rules introduced in 2019 requiring those from countries deemed at highest risk of doping (category A) nations to undergo the no-notice out-of-competition test in a 10 month period leading up to the major event.

Nigeria was by far the hardest-hit nation, with 10 of 23 entries from Tokyo declared ineligible.