The Nigeria representative is the first athlete to be arrested for doping during the Olympic period of the Tokyo Games.
Earlier this week, 20 athletes, including 10 Nigerians, They were denied competition because they did not meet the criteria for out-of-competition doping controls.
All of these competitors are part of the countries classified in Class A, known as high risk
by IAU. So they must undergo three tests in the ten months prior to a major tournament. Nigeria was already the worst affected country, with 10 of the 23 athletics qualifiers disqualified.
The sports system in Nigeria is completely flawed and we the athletes are still collateral victims.
, Okagbare lamented on Twitter.
Blessing Okagbari is the eleventh representative of her country to be expelled from the athletics competitions in Tokyo.
The 2008 vice Olympic long jump champion, auditioned for elimination on July 19. The 32-year-old took first place in the 100 meters with a time of 11.05 seconds. The time that allowed him to reach the semi-finals, played on Saturday, was like the final.
Asked by AFP, the Athletics Anti-Doping Gendarmerie did not want to determine if the test had taken place in Japan or another country. Technically, the sample that is taken by the IAU, cannot be taken from an Olympic site, as this is the responsibility of the international control agency.
Blessing Okagbare was participating in the 4th Olympic Games. She is the seventh performer of the season in the 100 meters at 10.89. She is also the African record holder in the 200 metres, which is 22.04 in 2018.
The sprinter is part of a Florida-based high-profile group trained by American Rana Rider, which includes some of the favorites in the men’s 100m race with American Trayvon Bromell and Canadian Andre de Grasse. Frenchman Jimmy Vicot is also part of this group.
