Team Nigeria’s Cynthia Ogunsemilore has been removed from the Paris 2024 Olympics women’s boxing event following a positive test for a banned substance, the International Testing Agency (ITA) announced on Saturday, July 27.
The 22-year-old lightweight champion from the African Games tested positive for furosemide, a diuretic classified as a masking agent that can obscure the presence of other performance-enhancing drugs.
This positive result has led to her provisional suspension, meaning she will not participate in the Olympics.
Ogunsemilore, who was poised to compete in the round of 16 in the women’s 60-kilogram (132-pound) weight class, had been ranked fourth in her division.
Her suspension comes as a significant blow to her Olympic aspirations. She had achieved notable success earlier this year by winning the African Games title in her weight class and securing a bronze medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
The announcement of Ogunsemilore’s suspension marks the second doping-related case at the Paris Olympics.
On Friday, Iraqi judoka Sajjad Sehen was also reported to have tested positive for two anabolic steroids.
As the Paris Games continue, the ITA remains committed to enforcing anti-doping regulations to ensure fair competition and uphold the integrity of the Olympic spirit.
