Nigerian Queen of track, Blessing Okagbare has been handed a 10-year ban by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), the body announced the ban in a press release on the 18th of February.
Okagbare received a 5-year ban for use of multiple prohibited substances and an additional 5-year ban for her refusal to co-operate with the AIU’s investigation into her case, bringing the total to 10 years.
Okagbare’s woes began at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 when she was withdrawn from the competition after she tested positive for human growth hormone on the 19th of June, just a few days before the Summer Olympics which began on June 23rd. Further investigation revealed she also tested positive for another prohibited substance called recombinant erythropoietin (EPO).
Okagbare had advanced to the women’s 100m semi-finals which was to take place on the 31st of July before being axed from the competition on the said day.
In an investigation launched to determine the circumstances behind Okagbare’s positive test, it was discovered that she was involved in an organized doping regimen, an act that the AIU described as an “egregious conduct that amounted to aggravating circumstances.”
The disgraced Olympian’s alleged supplier has been identified as Eric Lira, a 41-year-old El Paso, Texas-based “naturopathic” therapist. Investigations uncovered that Lira supplied performance-enhancing drugs to two athletes ahead of the Tokyo Olympic Games in an effort to corrupt the competition.
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The indictment against Eric Lira included encrypted messages between Lira and Blessing Okagbare where she is seen testifying to the effectiveness of Lira’s work. “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,” reads one of the messages Okagbare sent.
“Call me urgently. . . [t]hey said one of my result came out positive on HGH . . . I don’t understand,” the athlete is said to have texted Lira after being informed of her positive test.
AIU Head Brett Clothier lauded the ban saying; “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.”
The AIU’s press statement added that Okagbare has the right to appeal the ban at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) within the next 30 days.
Blessing Okagbare is quite a decorated athlete, she won gold at the Commonwealth Games and won two medals including a silver for long jump and bronze for 200m at the 2013 World Outdoor Championships.
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