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sports Friday 14 January 2022
Texts, pictures lead to 1st doping case under new US law

By EDDIE PELLS
AP National Writer
DENVER (AP) — Nigeria's
top Olympic medal hope-
ful was thrilled. The drugs
her doctor sent were work-
ing.
"Eric my body feel so good,"
Blessing Okagbare said in a
text not long after running
the 100 meters in a per-
sonal-best 10.63 seconds.
"Whatever you did is work-
ing so well."
"Eric" is Eric Lira, a naturo-
pathic doctor in Texas, who
on Wednesday became
the first person charged
under a landmark U.S. law
designed to add legal ac-
countability to a global an-
ti-doping system that has
long struggled to regulate
itself.
Okagbare was the highest-
profile sprinter in a country
with a history of doping
problems, one that could
be facing more scrutiny
under the auspices of the
Rodchenkov Act that was
passed in 2020 to root out
cases like these.
"It's not winning if you take
illegal substances — it's Associated Press
cheating," said FBI Assistant the 100-meter semifinals in wait," she said. ing world were lauding the it Wednesday and then
Director Michael J. Driscoll, Tokyo. The Athletics Integ- Even before Okagbare's first case to come under yesterday again. I wasn't
who helped spearhead the rity Unit, which oversees the suspension, there was the new law. sure so I didn't take a test."
investigation. anti-doping effort in track trouble brewing in Nigeria, "Collaboration between A few days after that,
The texts between Lira and and field, had previously which, to anti-doping regu- law enforcement and an- Okagbare ran the 10.63 —
Okagbare were among said Okagbare tested posi- lators, was considered a ti-doping agencies can a personal best that, even
the 10 pages' worth of tive for a blood booster in "high risk" country because considerably strengthen though it was wind-aided,
evidence the U.S. Attor- Nigeria in June. of flaws in its testing pro- the ability to detect serious made her very happy.
ney's Office in Manhat- She was charged with fail- gram. The AIU announced doping, as is alleged in this While her suspension has
tan unsealed in a criminal ing to cooperate with the 10 Nigerian athletes would case," said Brett Clothier, been in place since last
complaint. The attorney's investigation after she dis- not be allowed to partici- the head of the AIU. year, the Rodchenkov
office said Lira distributed obeyed an order to pro- pate in the Olympics be- Working off a tip from a Act was designed to cast
the drugs, including hu- duce "documents, records cause they did not meet whistleblower, authorities a wider net, one that has
man growth hormone and and electronic storage anti-doping testing require- accessed Okagbare's cell now nabbed Lira, the al-
erythropoietin, a blood- devices" in relation to the ments in the lead-up to the phone and saw messages leged provider whose next
building hormone, "for the other charges, the AIU said Games. in which she requested four hearing was set for next
purpose of corrupting" the at the time. It is this history that points doses of "honey," which in- Tuesday.
Tokyo Olympics. Anti-doping officials say toward Nigeria potentially vestigators determined was "Today's action is entirely
The 33-year-old Okagbare, the ability to detect dop- being further targeted un- a reference to HGH. appropriate and puts real
who won a silver medal in ing and suspend Okag- der the auspices of the There were also several teeth into anti-doping en-
the long jump at the Beijing bare, who was considered Rodchenkov Act. More text messages between forcement, while also set-
Games in 2008, is not spe- a strong medal contender, than individual athletes, Okagbare and Lira, some ting an example of interna-
cifically named in the com- before she raced was a vic- the law was passed to go of which also mention an tional cooperation and fair
plaint. But the description tory in and of itself — one after people and organi- "Athlete 2," who lived in play for future generations,"
of "Athlete 1," along with that prevented another zations that fund and pro- Florida and has not been said the namesake of the
her racing and suspension chapter in the long cycle of mote doping schemes. identified. law, Grigory Rodchenkov.
history, matches Okagbare medals being stripped and Critics of the act, including One text came on June Rodchenkov was the direc-
to a "T" — from the 10.63 re-awarded years after an the IOC and the World An- 7, about 10 days before tor of the anti-doping lab
she was excited about in infraction takes place. ti-Doping Agency, insist the Okagbare ran her personal in Moscow where much of
mid-June to the provisional Okagbare did not return law is too far-reaching and best: "I had a bad race yes- Russia's plot to undermine
suspension she received text messages left on her gives too much power to terday, Eric. Upset, angry, the system in advance of
in late July for a positive cell phone by The Associ- U.S. authorities to prosecute and disappointed." the 2014 Olympics in Sochi
test for human growth hor- ated Press. She has been transgressions that occur A few days later, Athlete 1 took place.
mone. mostly silent, other than outside America's borders. wrote to Lira that she "took He has been living in hiding
That suspension was an- a tweet last year: "When But shortly after the charg- 2000ui of the 'E' yesterday, since coming forward as
nounced only hours before it's time to say anything, I es were unsealed, several is it safe to take a test this a whistleblower about the
Okagbare was to run in will and it will be worth the big names in the anti-dop- morning? Remember I took Russian scheme.q