Athletics Federation of Nigeria demands clarification on disqualified 4x400m team

The Athletics Federation of Nigeria is waiting for more information from the World Anti Doping Agency and the  International Olympic Committee (IOC) on the status of the Nigerian 4x400m relay quartet, which stands disqualified following the alleged dope offence of an athlete in the team.

The women 4x400m was one of the Nigerian teams with a realistic chance of winning a medal at the Games beginning on August 5. But there will be no Olympic slot for the team, following the involvement of Tosin Adeloye in the races that qualified the Nigerian women for Rio 2016.

Adeloye was suspended from athletics competitions, after she tested positive to banned substances from the Warri Relays in 2014. “At the moment our team stands suspended. But we are waiting for further clarifications from the world anti doping agency WADA and the IOC to know the true position of the team, “ said a member of the AFN yesterday.

The team featuring Adeloye won bronze at the IAAF world relays in Bahamas in 2014 and placed 5th at the IAAF World Championships in 2015 where they ran a season’s best of 3.23.27 seconds in the heats and 3.25.11 in the final.

Those times qualified the team for the Olympics, however, yesterday a check through the IAAF website confirmed that the performances by the Nigerian team has been disqualified by the IAAF, effectively ending any chance of Nigeria featuring in the Games.