Divine Oduduru. [Source: Reuters]
Nigerian sprinter Divine Oduduru has been provisionally suspended and notified of two potential Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRVs) by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) who said they are seeking a six-year ban.
The alleged violations relate to the possession or use or attempted use of a prohibited substance. They come after U.S. prosecutors charged therapist Eric Lira with supplying performance-enhancing drugs to athletes at the Tokyo Olympics.
Oduduru’s provisional suspension comes a year after his teammate Blessing Okagbare was banned for 11 years for doping in the lead-up to the Tokyo Olympics and refusing to cooperate with the investigation.
Her phone was reviewed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection on her return to the United States from Tokyo and a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) complaint set out “highly incriminating text and voice messages” with Lira.
Oduduru, 26, has a personal best of 9.86 seconds in the 100 metres and 19.73 seconds in the 200 metres – a national record. He was disqualified in the 100m heats in Tokyo while he reached the 200m semi-finals.