Doping: AIU slams three-year ban on Nigerian athlete Grace Nwokocha

Nigerian sprinter Nzubechi Grace Nwokocha has been suspended for three years due to doping. The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) disclosed on Friday, October 27, that Nwokocha, who secured a gold medal in the 4x100m relay at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, was found to have tested positive for Ostarine and Ligandrol in a sample collected on August 3, 2022.

Nwokocha has reportedly acknowledged her involvement in the doping violation and accepted the corresponding three-year ban. Furthermore, as a consequence of this suspension, she has been stripped of her gold medal from the Commonwealth Games.

The statement by the AIU reads: “The AIU, the Athlete and the World Anti-Doping Agency (“the Parties”) subsequently entered into a Case Resolution Agreement in accordance with Rule 10.8.2 ADR pursuant to which the Athlete acknowledges that she has been found to have committed ADRVs under Rule 2.1 and Rule 2.2 of the CGF ADR (and the ADR) by virtue of the CGF Decision, which is final and binding upon her;

“The Athlete agrees to be sanctioned with a period of Ineligibility of three (3) years; the Parties agree that taking into consideration the criteria in Rule 10.8.2 of the ADR, the period of Ineligibility shall commence on the date of Sample collection, i.e., 3 August 2022. Therefore, the period of Ineligibility shall be in effect until, and including, 2 August 2025; and in accordance with Rule 10.10 of the ADR (and to the extent that any results are not already disqualified by operation of the CGF Decision), the Athlete’s competitive results from 3 August 2022 until the date of the Provisional Suspension imposed by the AIU viz. 2 September 2022 are Disqualified with all resulting consequences, including forfeiture of any medals, points and prize money/prizes.”