As a rule, the team would be stripped of the gold medal if Nwokocha is not exonerated.
By Ishaya Ibrahim, News editor
Nigeria’s 2022 Commonwealth Games Gold medal winner, Grace Nwokocha, has been handed a provisional suspension by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) for doping.
Nwokocha who ran Nigeria’s anchor leg in the 4×100 winning women’s relay is included on the list of athletes placed on provisional suspension for various doping offenses.
The athletics body disclosed on its official website on Saturday night that Ostarine and Lingadrol were found in Nwokocha’s sample A urine collected on August 3, 2022, at the Commonwealth Games and she will now be under provisional suspension pending the conclusion of investigations.
Other members of the quarter are Tobi Amusan, Favour Ofili, and Rosemary Chukwuma.
Nwokocha will now be excluded from any other competition until a final decision is taken at a hearing conducted as per World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) rules.
TheNiche had reported on Friday that the Athletics Federation of Nigeria was facing a fresh doping crisis, as a member of the Nigeria women 4x100m at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham had failed a dope test.
The Athletics Federation of Nigeria has been notified of the development by the World Anti-doping agency as the confirmation of the B sample is still being awaited. As a rule the team would be stripped of the medal and the performance, if Nwokocha is not exonerated.
AFN president Tonobok expressed shock at the turn of events saying: “I’m not yet aware of any positive test, but that would be shocking.”
The experience would be bitter for the rest of the team who celebrated the medal as their lives depended on it. This is because they narrowly missed the podium at the World Championships in Oregon USA.