Nigerian boxer Cynthia Ogunsemilore has been provisionally suspended from the Paris 2024 Olympics following a failed drugs test, the International Testing Agency (ITA) has confirmed.
The 22-year-old tested positive for furosemide, a banned substance classified as a diuretic and masking agent. The sample was collected out-of-competition on 25 July on behalf of the International Olympic Committee.
Ogunsemilore, who claimed gold at this year’s African Games in Accra and bronze at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, was due to make her Olympic debut on Monday in the 60kg lightweight division against Shih Yi Wu of Chinese Taipei.
While the boxer has the right to appeal, any decision is unlikely to come in time for her scheduled bout.
This marks the second consecutive Olympics where a Nigerian athlete has been suspended for a doping violation. At Tokyo 2020, sprinter Blessing Okagbare tested positive for human growth hormone, resulting in an 11-year ban.
The incident occurs amid ongoing concerns about Nigeria’s anti-doping measures. The World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) has alleged that the country’s anti-doping agency is non-compliant with Wada regulations, potentially jeopardising Nigerian athletes’ ability to compete under their national flag.
Nigeria’s National Anti-Doping Committee denies these charges, with the case currently under review by the Court of Arbitration of Sport.
