Nigeria’s relay team at the Beijing Olympics gets silver medal

Nigeria relay team at the Beijing 2008 Olympics have awarded a silver medal after the IOC announced on Wednesday that one of Russia’s female runners tested positive for steroids in a re-analysis of her doping samples.

Yulia Chermoshanskaya tested positive to two drugs and has been stripped of the gold medal, alongside her teammates in the women’s 4×100-meter relay. The IAAF has been asked to modify the results and consider any further sanctions against Chermoshanskaya.

Russia won the women’s 4×100-meter relay at the 2008 Beijing games will now be stripped of its Gold medal according to IAAF rules, elevating Nigeria to the second position while Belgium get the Gold medal.

The ‪Nigerian‬ team of Ene Franca Idoko, Gloria Kemasuode, Halimat Ismaila and Oludamola Osayomi who crossed the line third in 43.04, will be upgraded to silver. Brazil will now take bronze after clocking 43.14.

The IAAF rules states that an entire relay team loses its medals if one of the runners tests positive.

Read the IOC statement below:

“Yulia CHERMOSHANSKAYA, 30, of the Russian Federation, competing in the women’s 200m and the women’s 4x100m relay events, has been disqualified from the Olympic Games Beijing 2008, in which she ranked 8th in the 200m and 1st in the 4x100m relay with her teammates.

Re-analysis of Chermoshanskaya’s samples from Beijing 2008 resulted in a positive test for the prohibited substances stanozolol and dehydrochlormethyltestosterone (turinabol).

The IOC Disciplinary Commission, composed for this case of Denis Oswald (Chairman), Gunilla Lindberg and Ugur Erdener, decided the following:

The Athlete, Yulia CHERMOSHANSKAYA is found to have committed an anti-doping rule violation pursuant to the IOC Anti-Doping Rules applicable to the Games of the XXIX Olympiad in Beijing in 2008 (presence and/or use, of a Prohibited Substance or its Metabolites or Markers in an athlete’s bodily specimen)

She is disqualified from all the events in which she participated on the occasion of the Olympic Games Beijing 2008, namely, the Women’s 200m and the Women’s 4x100m relay, and the medal, the medallist pin and the diplomas obtained in the Women’s 200m and the Women’s 4x100m relay is hereby withdrawn and is ordered to return the same.

The Russian Federation Team is disqualified from the Women’s 4x100m relay. The corresponding medals and diplomas are withdrawn and shall be returned.

The IAAF is requested to modify the results of the above-mentioned events accordingly and to consider any further action within its own competence.

The Russian Olympic Committee shall ensure full implementation of this decision.

The Russian Olympic Committee shall notably secure the return to the IOC, as soon as possible, of the medals, the medallist pins and the diplomas awarded in connection with the Women’s 200m and in connection with the Women’s 4x100m relay to the Athlete and to the other team members of the Women’s 4x100m Russian Federation Team.

This decision enters into force immediately.”