Related cases:
- United States vs Eric Lira - Complaint
December 29, 2021 - World Athletics 2021 WA vs Blessing Okagbare (1)
February 14, 2022 - World Athletics 2023 WA vs Divine Oduduru
September 18, 2023
In July and in August 2021 the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) of World Athletics (WA) was informed that the samples of the Nigerian Athlete Blessing Okagbare - provided in June and July 2021 - tested positive for the prohibited substances Recombinant Erythropoietin (rhEPO) and Human Growth Hormone (hGH).
In this case the Athlete failed to cooperate with the investigation and she refused to provide her mobile telephone to the AIU.
As a result on 14 February 2022 the WA Disciplinary Tribunal decided to impose severe sanctions on the Athlete due to aggravating circumstances:
- to impose a 5 year period of ineligibility for the presence and use of hGH and rhEPO;
- to impose a consecutive 5 year period of ineligibility on the Athlete for her failure to comply with the Demand and to cooperate with the AIU investigation; and
- therefore a total 10 year period of ineligibility was imposed on the Athlete, starting on the 31 July 2021.
During the their investigations the AIU had received evidende from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) regarding the case in the United States against Mr Eric Lira, involved in the distribution of prohibited substances to two athletes.
The FBI also had scanned the Athlete's mobile telephone in August 2021 and incriminating text and voice messages send to Mr Lira showed clearly the Athlete's purchase of hGH and rhEPO and her evasion and tampering of sample collection in June 2021 at her Florida address resulting in a confirmed Missed Test.
Consequently in June 2022 the AIU reported further anti-doping rule violations against the Athlete for Evading Sample Collection and Tampering with any part of the Doping Control. After notification of these reported anti-doping rule violations she failed to respond to the AIU communications.
Because the Athlete failed to respond to the charge within the set deadline the AIU deems that the Athlete has admitted the anti-doping rule violations, waived her right for a hearing and accepted the consequences thereupon.
Therefore the AIU decides on 23 June 2022 to impose an additional 1 year period of ineligibility on the Athlete to the sanction already imposed on the Athlete on 14 February 2022.
