Commonwealth Games women’s 100m gold medallist Osayemi Oludamola has tested positive for a banned stimulant, Games Federation chief Mike Fennell said on Monday.
Oludamola’s sample contained the banned stimulant methylhexanamine and she had requested her B sample be tested. The 24-year-old has been suspended and would keep her gold medal pending a hearing later on Monday, he added.
“Any positive test, whether it is in a high-profile event or not, is something that is very much regretted because we all are striving for clean Games, clean sports and clean competitions, said Fennell.
“The B sample will be tested at the laboratory today and a hearing will be held later today in accordance with the anti-doping standards.”
The Nigerian took gold after Australian Sally Pearson, who crossed the line first in Thursday’s race, was disqualified for a false start three hours after the finish.
Natasha Mayers, who crossed the line third in the blue riband sprint to take St Vincent and the Grenadines’ first athletics medal, will be elevated to gold medallist if Oludamola is stripped of the title.
“I am shocked and disappointed,” Elias Usman Gora, chef de mission of the Nigeria team, told Reuters.
“We brought our athletes here to compete and in the right spirit. It is very unfortunate if the second test also comes out positive.
“We had done out of competition testing on most of our athletes before coming here, except a few who joined us directly from the United States and Canada. Osayemi happens to be one who joined us from the United States.
“She has been a good athlete and had no problems with doping ever. I just don’t know what happened.”
A world championship 100m finalist in 2007, Oludamola reached the semifinals of the sprint at the Beijing Olympics a year later.
Organisers have conducted over 950 tests since the start of the Games, Fennell said, with Oludamola’s the first positive in more than 700 results to date.
“We just want to let everyone know that we are very vigilant,” Fennell added. “This is something we have to work with and do a part in monitoring and eliminating doping in sports.” – Reuters