The gold medal won by Nigeria’s women’s 4x100m athletics team at last year’s Commonwealth Games has been revoked due to a doping violation, and it has been awarded to England instead.
The Nigerian team, comprised of Tobi Amusan, Favour Ofili, Rosemary Chukwuma, and Grace Nwokocha, had made history by securing the gold medal at the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham, becoming the first Nigerian women’s relay team to accomplish such a feat.
However, the celebration was short-lived as it was later discovered that Grace Nwokocha had tested positive for banned anabolic steroids. This revelation raised doubts about the legitimacy of Nigeria’s achievement, which was accomplished with an impressive time of 42.10 seconds, setting a new African record.
Consequently, the Commonwealth Games Federation officially disqualified the Nigerian team, resulting in the elevation of the English quartet as the new gold medalists.
The English team, comprising Asha Philip, Imani-Lara Lansiquot, Bianca Williams, and Daryll Neita, had originally finished second in the final but now ascend to the top of the podium.
The decision to disqualify Nigeria and award the gold medal to England was made after the confirmation of Nwokocha’s positive doping test, which revealed the presence of two banned anabolic agents in her sample.
Consequently, Nwokocha’s results from the 100m, 200m, and sprint relay have all been nullified.
The matter has been referred to the Athletics Integrity Unit for further investigation and potential sanctions.
This development serves as a reminder of the ongoing efforts to maintain fairness and integrity in sports, as doping violations tarnish the achievements of athletes and undermine the principles of fair competition.