Court withdraws gold medal of Nigeria's Commonwealth Games 4x100m

Nigeria have been stripped of the gold medal the women’s 4x100m relay team won after the disqualification of Grace Nwokocha who was found guilty of doping by the Commonwealth Games Federation Court.

Nwokocha had run the anchor leg as Nigeria crossed the finish line in 42.10s to set a new African record.

She was provisionally suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit last September for the use of banned anabolic steroids ostarine and ligandrol following a sample taken at Birmingham 2022.

Ostarine and ligandrol are both non-Specified Substances, listed by name under section S1.2 in the WADA 2022 Prohibited List.

The Commonwealth Games Federation Court heard Nwokocha’s case in May where her assertion that ‘a fellow member of the Nigerian team had drunk from her bottle of Lucozade, and thereby caused the adverse analytical finding (AAF)” was rejected.

Nwokocha’s lawyer explained: ‘she was probably the victim of a contamination of her drinks whilst in practice sessions on the track at the athletes’ village.’

Birmingham 2022 announced on its website that the Federation Court issued a decision on May 17, 2023, that Nwokocha had committed the following Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRVs) under the 2022 Commonwealth Games Anti-Doping Rules (ADRs): Presence of a Prohibited Substance or its Metabolites or Markers in the Athlete’s Sample, pursuant to Article 2.1 of the ADRs; and Use or Attempted Use by an Athlete of a Prohibited Substance or a Prohibited Method, pursuant to Article 2.2 of the ADRs.

The Federation Court disqualified her results from the women’s 100m, women’s 200m and the women’s 4x100m relay, with all resulting consequences, including forfeiture of any points and prizes.

‘The matter has now been passed to the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) to determine any further consequences under their anti-doping rules,’ Birmingham 2022 added