Nigerian runner, Grace Nwokocha has been provisionally suspended from taking part in any athletics event after she failed a drug test at the recently held Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England.
Nwokocha’s suspension was announced yesterday by the Athletics Integrity Unit on its official Twitter handle
The body said in a statement on Twitter: “The AIU has provisionally suspended Nigerian runner, Nzubechi Grace Nwokocha, for the Presence/Use of Prohibited Substances (Ostarine & Ligandrol) (Article 2.1 and Article 2.2)”
Ostarine and Ligandrol, two anabolic agents prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) – were found in Nwokocha’s blood sample.
This means that she is temporarily banned from competitions until the result of her B sample comes out.
Nwokocha was part of the quartet that won gold in the 4x100m relay at this year’s Commonwealth Games.
The implication is that Nigeria may be stripped of one of the gold medals won at the Commonwealth Games owing to the doping scandal.
It would be recalled that the quartet had set a new African Record of 42.10s to win what was Nigeria’s 11th gold medal in Birmingham.
Nwokocha qualified for last year’s Tokyo Olympics and also entered the 100m and 200m at the world championships in Eugene this year, reaching the semi-finals in both events.