By Monica Iheakam
Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games relay gold medalist, Grace Nkwocha has been provisionally suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) for testing positive for a banned substance.
Nkwocha anchored the relay race for the Nigeria women 4x100m relay race that consisted of Tobi Amusan, Favour Ofili and Rosemary Chukwuma.
According to the AIU, Nkwocha tested positive for ostarine and ligandrol.
Ostarine is an anabolic steroid that is not approved for human use or consumption in the United States while Ligandrol is used to increase energy, improve athletic performance and increase muscle growth.
Testing positive for prohibited substances carries a penalty of up to four years, meaning the Nigerian could miss the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and the Victoria 2026 Commonwealth Games if found guilty.
At the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Nwokocha made the semi-finals of the women’s 100m and 200m, reaching the same stage in both races at this year’s 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene.
The Nigerian was fifth at Birmingham 2022 in the women’s 100m final too.