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Nigerian sprinter Blessing Okagbare has now been charged with three doping offences by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU).

She was already suspended during the Tokyo Olympic Games. She had tested positive for a human growth hormone (HGH) during an out-of-competition test in July. The 32-year-old (two days shy of her 33rd birthday) sprinter has now tested positive for erythropoietin (EPO). A red blood cell booster, which is much more common with middle and long-distance athletes.

The AIU charged her with a third item: not cooperating with the investigation.

The AIU stated that she has “failed to comply with a formal requirement to produce relevant documents, records, and electronic storage devices.”

Okagbare had appealled her four-year provisional suspension, however, the B sample resulted in another positive. She was set to serve out her four-year doping ban. The latest will surely end her career and call in to question all of her accomplishments.

Okagbare specialises in the 100m sprint as well as the long jump. She won the preliminary round of the Tokyo Olympic Games 100m, before receiving the provisional suspension.

She is a six-time African Championships gold medallist and took silver during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games in the long jump.
Her 100mbest is 10.79 and 22.04 in the 200m, which are both national records. She is also a World Athletics Championships silver medallist in the long jump event. Her best jump is 7.00m.

The AIU had banned 10 Nigerians from Tokyo as the athletes were not tested rigorously enough in advance of the Games.

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