Nigerian Sprinter, Blessing Okagbare Banned For 10 Years For Doping

33-year-old Nigerian Sprinter, Blessing Okagbare Banned For 10 Years For Doping, she was expelled from the Tokyo Olympics last year before the women’s 100m semi-finals after testing positive for human growth hormone at an out-of-competition test in Slovakia on July 19.

Of Urhobo heritage, Okagbare was born in Sapele, Delta, in Nigeria. Given her athletic physique, teachers and family encouraged her to take up sports. Initially she played football as a teenager at her high school and later, in 2004, she began to take an interest in track and field.

Her 100 m best of 10.79 made her the African record holder for the event until it was eclipsed by Murielle Ahouré in 2016. On June 17, 2021 Okagbare ran a wind-aided 10.63 100 m. She is the current African record holder in the 200 m with her run of 22.04 seconds in 2018.

She was the African 100 m and long jump champion in 2010. She has also won medals at the All-Africa Games, IAAF Continental Cup and World Relays.