National hurdler, Glory Onome Nathaniel has been hit hard with the hammer of Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), which has announced a provisional suspension for the African women’s 400m hurdles champion.
Sports247.ng gathered that Nathaniel was hit with the hammer at the start of the week, after a positive test for the anabolic steroid stanozolol.
This comes after Nathaniel won the 400m hurdles title in 55.53 at the 21st African championships in front of her home-crowd in Asaba, Delta State.
However, after winning the continental title on August 5 at Stephen Keshi Stadium, she was absent from the African team at the Continental Cup in Ostrava.
Provisional suspension comes when an athlete is stopped temporarily from participating in any competition or activity in Athletics prior to a final decision at a hearing conducted under the IAAF Anti-Doping Unit.
Feelers African Athletics United hinted that Nathaniel might have fallen foul of rules against banned drugs en route to winning the race in Asaba.
This has led to fears that she may end up losing her 400m hurdles medal and be stripped of the mark, should the disciplinary process leads to a sanction.
AIU disclosed that Nathaniel was sanctioned because of “Presence of a Prohibited Substance (Stanozolol) (Article 2.1)”
AIU’s statement reads in part: “In doping cases, a Provisional Suspension is mandatory under the IAAF Anti-Doping Rules following an adverse analytical finding for any non-specified substance on the Prohibited List.
“A Provisional Suspension may be imposed in other doping cases depending on the nature and circumstances of the case in question.
“A Provisional Suspension imposed in a non-doping case does not in any way abrogate the presumption of innocence and it is not an early determination of guilt.
“Rather, it is an order made on a precautionary basis to safeguard the interests of the sport.”
