Blessing Okagbare, who was handed a ten-year ban by the Athletics Integrity Unit on Friday for doping violations, has stated that he will not go down without a fight.
Okagbare was sentenced to five years in prison for “the presence and use of multiple prohibited substances, as well as five years for her refusal to cooperate with the AIU’s investigation into her case.”
In October 2021, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) filed charges against Okagbare in connection with separate disciplinary matters. First, she was provisionally suspended on July 31, 2021, for the presence and use of multiple (two) prohibited substances (human Growth Hormone (hGH) and recombinant erythropoietin (EPO) for which she had been provisionally suspended on July 31, 2021, the day she was scheduled to compete in the semi-finals of the Tokyo 2020 women’s 100m.
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Taking to Twitter, the 2008 Beijing Olympics long-jump silver medalist acknowledged that she had seen the AIU statement and that her team is working on it.
“My attention has been drawn to the AIU’s statement regarding its disciplinary panel decision.” My lawyers are currently researching it for our next course of action, which we will notify you of as soon as possible,” she tweeted.
Blessing Okagbare was named in an indictment last month against Texas therapist Eric Lira, her alleged supplier.
The 41-year-old El Paso-based “naturopathic” therapist was accused of supplying drugs to two athletes for the “purpose of corrupting” the Tokyo Olympics.
She has 30 days to file an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
