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Nigeria stripped of women’s 4x100m Commonwealth Games gold medal

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Nzubechi Grace Nwokocha of Team Nigeria celebrates winning the gold medal as they cross the finish line in the Women’s 4 x 100m Relay. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)

Nigeria’s women’s 4x100m relay team at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games have been stripped of their gold medal following the disqualification of Nzubechi Grace Nwokocha who was found guilty of doping by the Commonwealth Games Federation Court. England have now been promoted to first place, followed by Jamaica and Australia.

Nwokocha had run the anchor leg as Nigeria crossed the finish line 0.21 seconds ahead of England in a thrilling race at Alexander Stadium on August 7, setting a new African record of 42.10s.

PROVISIONALLY SUSPENDED

She was provisionally suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) the following month, for the use of banned anabolic steroids ostarine and ligandrol following a sample taken at Birmingham 2022. Ostarine and ligandrol are both non-Specified Substances, listed by name under section S1.2 (Other Anabolic Agents) in the WADA 2022 Prohibited List.

The Commonwealth Games Federation Court heard Nwokocha’s case in May where her assertion that “a fellow member  of  the  Nigerian  team  had  drunk  from  her  bottle  of  Lucozade,  and  thereby caused the adverse analytical finding (AAF)” was rejected.

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The athlete’s lawyer explained: “she was probably the victim of a contamination of her drinks whilst in practice sessions on the track at the athletes’ village.”

Birmingham 2022 announced on its website that the Federation Court issued a decision on  May 17, 2023,  that Nwokocha had committed the following Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRVs) under the 2022 Commonwealth Games Anti-Doping Rules (ADRs): Presence of a Prohibited Substance or its Metabolites or Markers in the Athlete’s Sample, pursuant to Article 2.1 of the ADRs; and Use or Attempted Use by an Athlete of a Prohibited Substance or a Prohibited Method, pursuant to Article 2.2 of the ADRs.

The Federation Court disqualified her results from the women’s 100m, women’s 200m and the women’s 4x100m relay, with all resulting consequences, including forfeiture of any points and prizes.

“The matter has now been passed to the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) to determine any further consequences under their anti-doping rules,” Birmingham 2022 added.

The full decision can be found here

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-AIPS media

 

Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

Athletics

Behold, CAS statement on Tobi Amusan

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Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan is the winner as the Court of Arbitration for Sports, CAS has rejected the appeals filed by World Athletics and  WADA.

The decision confirms the decision taken by the World Athletics disciplinary tribunal finding that Tobi Amusan did not commit any anti-doping rule violation.

Here is the full statement of CAS.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has dismissed the appeals filed by

World Athletics (WA) and by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) against the decision issued on 17 August 2023 (the Challenged Decision) by the World Athletics Disciplinary Tribunal (WADT) in relation to the hurdler Oluwatobiloba (Tobi) Amusan (Nigeria).

Accordingly, the Challenged Decision in which the WADT considered that Tobi Amusan did not violate Rule 2.4 of the WA Anti-Doping Rules (WA ADR) and that no period of ineligibility should be imposed on the Athlete is confirmed.

The Athlete was initially charged with committing an Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV) under Rule 2.4 WA ADR following three alleged Whereabouts Failures within a 12-month period.

In their respective appeal to CAS, WA and WADA had sought the imposition of a two-year period of ineligibility. The CAS Panel held a hearing on 19 January 2024. Having deliberated, the CAS Panel has issued its decision today dismissing both appeals. The CAS Panel unanimously acknowledged that the Athlete committed two filing failures but did not confirm the existence of a missed test, alleged by WA and WADA, which would have been the third Whereabouts Failure committed within a 12-month

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period. Accordingly, the CAS Panel concluded that the Athlete did not commit an ADRV and that the Challenged Decision should be confirmed.

The reasoned award will be published by CAS unless the parties request confidentiality.

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Athletics

Tobi Amusan floors WADA and World Athletics!

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Tobi Amusan’s Trial Begins Today -

Nigeria’s Paris 2024 medal hopeful, Tobi Amusan has been cleared as the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) has dismissed the appeal filed by World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the World Athletics.

 She is therefore cleared to feature at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Amusan is the 100m hurdles world record holder.

The athlete  was charged in July last year with missing three anti-doping tests in 12 months but was cleared of the offence by the Disciplinary Tribunal of the sport’s governing body, World Athletics.

The Integrity Unit of the World Athletics appealed the clearance which has now been dismissed by CAS, the final arbiter in the case.

CAS in its statement remarked that its panel “unanimously acknowledged that the athlete committed two filing failures but did not confirm the existence of a missed test, alleged by WA and WADA, which would have been the third Whereabouts Failure committed within 12 months.”

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Amusan set the world record of 12.12 seconds in the world championships in Eugene, Oregon, in July 2022 and went on to win the title.

She finished sixth in the world championships in Budapest last year.

World Athletics’ anti-doping rules say any athlete failing to declare their whereabouts for a doping test on three occasions over 12 months is ineligible to compete for two years.

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Athletics

Tobi Amusan thanks God for success at CAS in doping case

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An elated Nigeria’s 100m hurdles world record holder, Tobi Amusan has thanked God for her success in an appeal filled against her by the Athletics Integrity Unit  of the World Athletics.

Had the appeal been upheld, ,Amusan would  have has to miss the Paris 2024 Olymoics.

“It’s ALL GOD” Amusan said in an Instagram post alongside the court’s announcement.

Amusan, who broke the world record during her semi-final race at the 2022 world championships, is a hot favourite in her signature event at the Paris Olympics, which begin on July 26.

World Athletics and WADA did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment.

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