Nigerian Athlete Who Won Gold at the Recently Held Commonwealth Games Suspended for Doping

Nigerian Athlete Who Won Gold at the Recently Held Commonwealth Games Suspended for Doping

Babajide Orevba
updated at April 12, 2023 at 8:10 PM
  • Grace Nwokocha has been provisionally suspended for allegedly using a banned substance
  • The Athletics Integrity Unit, in a statement, claimed she was suspended for the use of the prohibited substance
  • She, alongside Tobi Amusan, Favour Ofili, and Rose Chukwuma, risk the gold medal they won at the Commonwealth Games

Nigerian athlete Grace Nwokocha has been provisionally suspended for allegedly using a banned substance, according to the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU).

The 21-year-old was part of the Nigerian quartet that won the Women’s 4x100m at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham last month.

Nwokocha ran the anchor leg in the race with Tobi Amusan, Favour Ofili, and Rose Chukwuma.

Grace Nwokocha, AIU, Commonwealth Games
Grace Nwokocha has been provisionally suspended for doping. Photo: Tim Clayton
Source: Getty Images

They had set a new African Record following their 42.10s time as they claimed Nigeria’s 11th gold medal at the Games in a historical fashion.

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Nwokocha, who is a multiple-time national champion in Women’s 100m, has a personal best time of 10.97s which she set at the World Championships in Eugene, Oregon, USA. She also ran a personal best of 22.44s in the 200m.

The AIU said:

“The AIU has provisionally suspended Nigerian runner, Nzubechi Grace Nwokocha, for the Presence/Use of Prohibited Substances (Ostarine & Ligandrol) (Article 2.1 and Article 2.2).”

Ostarine and Ligandrol are both anabolic agents prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), Daily Trust reports.

Ese Brume wins at Diamond League Meet

Meanwhile, sensational Nigerian athlete Ese Brume has emerged as the Women’s Long Jump event winner at the Diamond League Meet right inside the Allianz Memorial Van Damme in Brussels, Belgium.

The 26-year-old leapt a distance of 6.83m to finish in the first position ahead of Quanesha Burks of the United States, who finished second with 6.54m and Italian Larissa Lapichino in the third position with 6.52.

The incredible athlete becomes the second Nigerian alongside Tobi Amusan, who has booked a ticket to be part of the Zurich final taking place next week.

Nigerian medalists rewarded after CWG

Sports Brief earlier reported that Nigeria’s Sports Ministry has rewarded all medal-winning athletes who flew the country’s flag high at the just concluded Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

It was gathered that all medallists and their coaches were paid cash rewards from the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development for their heroics in Birmingham.

According to the Nigerian outlet, Vanguard, gold medallists were given $5,000 each, silver medallists received $3,000, and bronze medallists got $2,000.

Authors
Babajide Orevba photo
Babajide Orevba
Babajide Orevba is a CAF accredited Nigerian journalist and HOD of the Local Desk with over 10 years of experience in media landscape.He studied NCE Political Science/Social Studies, AOCOED.
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