Tokyo 2020: Dina Asher-Smith rival Blessing Okagbare BOOTED OUT of Olympics after failing drugs test

ONE OF Dina Asher-Smith’s 100m and 200m rivals has been sensationally booted out of the Tokyo Olympics.

Hours before she was due to run against Asher-Smith in the women’s 100m semi-finals in Tokyo, it was announced that Nigerian Blessing Okagbare had failed a drugs test.

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Blessing Okagbare has been booted out of the Olympics after failing a drugs test[/caption]

The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) has provisionally suspended Okagbare, 32, with immediate effect after a sample collected from the sprinter tested positive for Human Growth Hormone.

Human Growth Hormone is a non-specified substance on the 2021 World Anti-Doping Agency Prohibited List.

And a provisional suspension is mandatory following an adverse analytical finding for such substance under the WADA code.

The out-of-competition test sample was taken on Monday July 19 – four days before the start of the Games.

An AIU statement read: “The AIU has provisionally suspended Blessing Okagbare of Nigeria, with immediate effect after an out-of-competition sample collected from the sprinter tested positive for human Growth Hormone, a prohibited substance on the 2021 WADA Prohibited List.”

Okagbare won the sprint double at the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games and would have been among the contenders for this evening’s final.

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The AIU said: “The athlete was notified of the adverse analytical finding and of her provisional suspension this morning in Tokyo.

“She was scheduled to participate in the semi-finals of the women’s 100m this evening.

“The AIU will make no further comment on this matter at this time.”