The Commonwealth Games Federation has decided to withdraw the gold medal awarded to the women's 100m winner, Osayemi Odulamola (Nigeria) following receipt of the B test sample, confirming the result of her A sample which had tested positive for the prohibited stimulant, Methylhexaneamine.
A CGF release on Tuesday evening said that since the athlete had confirmed she was waiving her right to a full hearing as provided under the Anti-Doping Standard of the Commonwealth Games, the Federation has determined that the Nigerian athlete had committed an anti-doping rule violation and that she be disqualified from the Games and her competitions at the 2010 CWG be nullified.
The gold medal for the woman's 100 metres will now be awarded to Natasha Mayers of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the silver to Katherine Endacott of England, with the bronze going to Bertille Delphine Atangana of Cameroon.
The jurisdiction of the CGF relates only to the period of the Games. In accordance with the ADS the documents pertaining to Oludamola have now been referred to the IAAF for whatever subsequent action it might consider appropriate, the release added.
Samuel's case
In the matter pertaining to Samuel Okon, also from Nigeria, who was reported for a similar adverse analytical finding late on Monday night, the release said the high-hurdler, who had finished sixth in the 110m hurdles final on October 8 had confirmed at the provisional hearing this afternoon that he was waiving his right to have his B sample tested along with his right for a full hearing.
Subsequently, “The Federation Court determined that Okon had committed an anti-doping rule violation and that he be disqualified from the Games and all his competition results at the 2010 Commonwealth Games be nullified.”
The news of Okon having tested positive was announced by CGF President Michael Fennell at his customary press conference on Tuesday. A total of 1200 dope tests had been carried out, he said.
The procedures as laid down in the CGF anti-doping rules and as applied in the case of Oludamola were being followed in the latest case also, Fennell said.
Fennell said the CGF was indeed concerned with the number of positive tests that was coming up with the same substance. “At this stage, I cannot speak definitively as to where it is coming from, but it appears that it may be coming from one of the supplements. The supplement industry, with an annual turnover of $ 86 billion was by and large an unregulated industry.
It is an industry that is a cause of great concern, not only for the fight against doping but also the protection of the athletes. More attention needs to be paid to educate the athletes, officials and coaches not be carried away by the big advertisements put out by the supplement industry as most supplements do not assist an athlete in any way as has been promised. Many contain banned substances though one does not find it on the label of the products concerned.
The Nigerian team authorities is reported to have started their own investigations on what has been an embarrassing development for the African country at these Games.
