Commonwealth gold winner, Nwokocha, suspended for doping

Nigerian sprinter Nzubechi Grace Nwokocha has been provisionally suspended for the use of banned substances by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU)

Nwokocha, 21, ran the anchor leg in Birmingham last month as Nigeria beat England and Jamaica to take gold.

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She was part of the winning quartet of Tobi Amusan, Favour Ofili, and Rose Chukwuma who won gold in the 4x100m relay at this year’s Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

The quartet had set a new African Record of 42.10s to win what was Nigeria’s 11th gold medal in Birmingham and it was a historic moment for the country at the Games.

The 21-year-old Nwokocha, a multiple-time national champion over 100 metres, has a personal best time in the 100m of 10.97 seconds set at the last World Championships in Eugene, Oregon, USA. She also ran a personal best of 22.44s in the 200m.

“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),” 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)

Details here: https://t.co/5W4EeNE4HR pic.twitter.com/TKjUIk7ljn

— Athletics Integrity Unit (@aiu_athletics) September 3, 2022

Ostarine and Ligandrol are both anabolic agents prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

A provisional suspension means an athlete is temporarily banned from competition before a final decision is taken at a hearing conducted under WADA rules.

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.