Why Grace Nwokocha cannot appeal three year ban for anti-doping rule violation
Grace Nzubechi Nwokocha cannot appeal her three year ban by the Athletics Integrity Unit, AIU, at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, CAS.
The Nigeria sprinter was banned for the Presence/Use of Prohibited Substances (Ostarine and Ligandrol) in her system during the Commonwealth Games in 2022 in
Birmingham, United Kingdom.
The AIU revealed that Nwokocha entered into a case resolution agreement with it (on a without prejudice basis) after she failed to appeal against the
Commonwealth Games Federation, CGF, decision which found her quilty of anti-doping rule violations and subsequently stripped her of all her results and medals, including the 4x100m gold and 42.10 African record set by Nigeria
The AIU further revealed it wrote to Nkwocha noting that the CGF Decision confirmed that she had committed anti-doping rule violations and that this decision was final and binding upon her.
It was also revealed that the AIU, Nwokocha and the World Anti-Doping Agency, WADA, subsequently entered into a Case Resolution Agreement with the Nigerian acknowledging that she has been found to have committed anti-doping rule violations by virtue of the Commonwealth Games Federation Decision on May 17, 2023
finding the 22 year old guilty as charged.
The AIU further revealed that Nwokocha agrees to be sanctioned with a period of ineligibility of three (3) years starting from August 3, 2022 when the sample
was collected and would end on August 2, 2025 which effectively knocks her out of competing at the 20th World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan.
Meanwhile, the AIU affirmed the CGF’s decision that Nwokocha’s competitive results from 3 August 2022 until the date of the Provisional Suspension imposed by the AIU viz. 2 September 2022 are disqualified with all resulting consequences, including forfeiture of any medals, points and prize money/prizes.
