Nigerian boxer Cynthia Temitayo Ogunsemilore has been suspended from the Paris Olympics after violating an anti-doping rule, according to a statement from the International Testing Agency (ITA) on Saturday.
A sample collected from Ogunsemilore tested positive for furosemide, a substance listed under “diuretics and masking agents” by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). The sample was collected in Paris on Thursday, just one day before the Olympic opening ceremony, and was reported by a WADA-accredited laboratory on Saturday.
The ITA announced, “The athlete has been informed of the case and has been provisionally suspended until the resolution of the matter. This means that the athlete is prevented from competing, training, coaching, or participating in any activity during the Olympic Games Paris 2024.”
Ogunsemilore, a 22-year-old boxer in the under 60 kg category, was scheduled to make her Olympic debut on Monday. She now has the right to challenge her provisional suspension at the Court of Arbitration and can also request an analysis of the B sample.
Since the start of the Games, two other athletes have also been suspended. On Friday, the ITA announced that Iraqi judoka Sajjad Sehen tested positive for banned anabolic steroids, and Dominican volleyball player Lisvel Eve Mejia tested positive for furosemide.
By Ochu Ebubedike
