Regina cleared of drug use

The mandatory second test carried out on three alleged drug-tainted Nigerian athletes in Surrey, United Kingdom, has finally cleared one of them Regina George and she has returned to the Games Village with Team Nigeria.

The other two athletes Loretta Ozoh (100m, 200m and 4x100m) and Vivian Chukwuemeka (shot put) failed the second chance and were asked to go home.

The Team Nigeria doctor in charge of doping matters Dr Kenneth Anugweje confirmed the development.

“Regina is back with the team now. She has been cleared and will compete accordingly,” Anugweje said.

Regina George will compete in the 400m and 4x400m races. All three were found wanting following the drug tests at the national trials in Calabar in June. They were however able to compete in the African Senior Athletics Championship held in Porto Novo, Republic of Benin, in the same month because the results of the tests were only available after the African meet.

In London only Regina and Loretta were involved with the second test. Vivian Chukwuemeka did not contest the result from Calabar despite making press statements alleging that there must have been conspiracy to get her out of the Olympics and announced her resolve to clear her name. It is a second drug scandal for Chukwuemeka who returned from a dope-related ban not long ago and may now get a life ban.

The three athletes were not originally delisted but were asked to vacate the Olympics Camp which is the standard rule.

One of the implications is that Nigeria will lose the top spot from the African meet to Kenya as the 4x100m gold medal will be withdrawn from the log and handed to the East Africans. In the shot put, Nigeria will still retain gold as Chinwe Okoro will be upgraded to first position to make it two gold medals for her at the African championship.

Chukwuemeka had won the gold in the shot put even with Nigerians also picking the second and third spots. Kenya now tops due to superior silver medals won.