Doping: Blessing Okagbare’s ban extended to 11yrs.

The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) has extended the ban placed on Blessing Okagbare, by one-year after she committed additional anti-doping rule violations.

AIU in a statement on Monday night, June 27, said Okagbare specifically evaded sample collection, and tampered or attempted tampering with the doping control process.

Recall that in February 2022, a 10-year-ban was handed down to Okagbare by the body after she was found guilty of doping. The ban, has however, been ended by one year (now 11 years in total).
Okagbare was suspended on July 31, 2021 from the semi finals of the women’s 100m of the last Olympic Games in Tokyo.

AIU announced that the double Commonwealth Games sprint winner in Glasgow had tested positive for human growth hormones.
Further investigation of the case by FBI revealed that Okagbare was involved in an orchestrated doping plot involving a US-based “naturopathic” therapist Eric Lira.