Nigerian sprinter, Blessing Okagbare will reportedly have to serve a four-year ban after she lost her appeal over an out-of-competition failed test earlier this summer.
Okagbare, who was having one of her best seasons, was forced to pull out of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games prior to the semifinals of the women’s 100m after she returned a positive drug test for human growth hormone.
At the time, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) stated that the U.S.-based sprinter failed an out-of-competition test taken on July 19 and was provisionally suspended.
READ MORE: Tokyo 2020: Blessing Okagbare tests positive for Human Growth Hormone, OUT of Games
Okagbare said after the news broke that she would allow time to dictate what she did.
The Nigerian went on to appeal against the suspension, demanding to see the result of her B Sample, while posting on social media that “When it’s time to say anything, I will and it will be worth the wait.”
But according to reports in the Guardian, Okagbare has apparently been handed a four-year ban after the result of her B Sample also returned a positive notification.
“Okagbare started her four-year ban long ago,” a report in The Guardian quoted their source as saying. “It is just unfortunate Blessing Okagbare found herself in this mess.
“When the result of her A Sample came out, Okagbare had the option of accepting it, which could have seen her ban reduced to two or three years, but she insisted on her B Sample. I pity her though, but WA wants all athletes to compete and win clean. Okagbare’s ban may elapse before the Paris 2024 Olympics,” the report added.
Okagbare captured the 2008 Olympic long jump silver medalist and was the 2013 World Championships runner-up in the same event. She also won a bronze medal in the 200m at the 2013 World Championships.
The 32-year-old posted personal bests in the 60m and 200m during the indoor season and had five wind-legal times under 11-seconds this season.
She also had a wind-aided 10.63secs (+2.7m/s) performance this season.
