18 Facts About Blessing Okagbare

Blessing Okagbare is an Olympic and World Championships medallist in the long jump and a world medalist in the 200 metres.

Blessing Okagbare is currently serving a 10-year ban for breaching multiple World Athletics anti-doping rules.

Blessing Okagbare has won medals at the All-Africa Games, IAAF Continental Cup and World Relays.

Blessing Okagbare was suspended after failing a drugs test on 31 July 2021 during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

On 23 June 2022, the AIU announced that Blessing Okagbare's ban had been extended by a year for further anti-doping offences.

Blessing Okagbare participated in several disciplines early on, competing in the long jump, triple jump and high jump events at the Nigerian school championships and winning a medal in each.

Blessing Okagbare concluded her 2011 season by winning three medals at the All Africa Games in Maputo, Mozambique.

Blessing Okagbare won new continental medals at the 2012 African Championships in Porto-Novo.

At London 2012, Blessing Okagbare participated in her second Olympic Games.

At the 2013 World Championships in Moscow, Blessing Okagbare won the silver medal in the long jump.

Blessing Okagbare made it through to the finals of the 100m and won with a time of 10.85 seconds, breaking the games record of 10.91 seconds set by Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie 12 years earlier at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester.

Blessing Okagbare won the gold medal in the 200, with a time of 22.25 seconds.

Blessing Okagbare did not appear in the 200 meters at the IAAF World Championships or the All Africa Games due to a hamstring injury she sustained while finishing last in the final of the 100 meters at the World Championships.

Blessing Okagbare even opted out of Team Nigeria for the All-Africa Games in Congo.

Blessing Okagbare had a disappointing show at the 2016 Rio Olympics, as she finished without a single medal.

Blessing Okagbare won her first round heat in the 100 metres with a time of 11.05.

Blessing Okagbare was suspended on 31 July 2021 after failing a drug test taken on 19 July 2021, which tested positive for human growth hormone.

The athletics body said Blessing Okagbare was banned for five years for the use of multiple prohibited substances and another five years for not cooperating with the investigation.