Ruth Usoro, Ezekiel Nathaniel Added To World Athletics Testing Pool; Enoch Adegoke Out
Duo joins Amusan, Brume, Ofili, Oduduru and Enekwechi as the seven international level Nigerian athletes
Horizontal jumper Ruth Usoro and 400m barrier runner, Ezekiel Nathaniel have been added to the World Athletics testing pool following the latest update by the Athletics Integrity Unit, AIU.
With the update, Usoro, the Nigeria triple jump record holder indoors (14.36m) and outdoor (14.50) and Nathaniel, the Nigeria 400m hurdles record holder (48.42) have swelled to seven, the number of Nigerian athletes who are considered to be at the highest level of athletics in their respective events.
Both Usoro and Nathaniel have been in phenomenal form this indoor season. While the former set a new 6.87m lifetime mark in the long jump to move level with Blessing Okagbare as joint second in the African all-time list, the latter has ran inside 47 seconds thrice this season with a new 46.57 lifetime best in the individual 400m. The time has pushed him to ninth in the Nigerian all-time list and 31st in Africa.
Others who are on the updated testing pool include reigning World and Commonwealth Games 100m hurdles champion and record holder, Tobi Amusan and two-time World Athletics Championships long jump medalist, Ese Brume.
Also on the updated list are Nigeria record holder in the 200m, Divine Oduduru who has been provisionally suspended for alleged anti-doping rule violation, Shot Putter Chukwuebuka Enekwechi and Favour Ofili, the 20 year old sprint sensation who holds the Nigerian 200m record holder indoors (22.36) and outdoor (21.96).
Enoch Adegoke, the Tokyo Olympics 100m finalist has however been removed from the list after failing to find the form that made him become the first Nigerian man in 25 years to run in the blue ribband final at the quadrennial Games.
The seven Nigerian athletes on the Registered International Testing Pool are thus required to provide whereabouts information to the AIU and the information will be used by Anti-Doping Organizations (ADOs) to locate athletes for effective out of competition doping control.
The AIU will be primarily responsible for testing the seven Nigerians on its testing pool list while the Athletics Federation of Nigeria, AFN, will have the responsibility of testing others who should be on its testing pool.
