Nigerian gold winner tests positive

Oludamola could be stripped of her medal depending on the results of a second-sample test later in the day [AFP]

Osayemi Oludamola, the new Commonwealth Games women’s 100m gold medallist, has tested positive for a banned stimulant.

The Commonwealth Games Federation chief Mike Fennell said on Monday that the 24-year-old had been suspended but would keep her medal until a hearing later in the day, following a test of her B-sample.

Oludamola’s sample contained the banned stimulant methylhexaneamine, which was added to the World Anti Doping Agency’s (Wada) list of banned substances for the first time this year.

“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 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 in New Delhi.

Grenadine dream

Natasha Mayers, who crossed the line third in the blue riband sprint to take St Vincent & The Grenadines’ first athletics medal, will be elevated to gold medallist if Oludamola is stripped of the title.

The online edition of Nigeria’s Vanguard newspaper quoted the president of Athletics Federation of Nigeria as saying that they would back the athlete as they believed she took the substance inadvertently.

“She took medication for her toothache and we strongly suspect that it was that which led to her failed drug test,” Solomon Ogba told the paper.

Elias Usman Gora, chef de mission of the Nigeria team, said he was “shocked and disappointed”.

“We brought our athletes here to compete and in the right spirit,” he said. “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 semi-finals 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.”