Nigerian boxer Cynthia Temitayo Ogunsemilore has been suspended from the Paris Olympics for violating an anti-doping rule, the International Testing Agency (ITA) announced on Saturday.
A sample collected from Ogunsemilore tested positive for the prohibited substance furosemide, which is classified as a diuretic and masking agent by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
The sample was taken in Paris on Thursday, just one day before the Olympics’ opening ceremony, and reported by a WADA-accredited laboratory on Saturday. The ITA stated that Ogunsemilore has been informed of the violation and is provisionally suspended until the matter is resolved.
This suspension prevents her from competing, training, coaching, or participating in any Olympic activities during the Paris 2024 Games.
Ogunsemilore has the right to challenge her provisional suspension at the Court of Arbitration for Sport and can request an analysis of the B sample. The 22-year-old, competing in the under 60 kg category, was set to make her Olympic debut on Monday.
Since the start of the Games, two other athletes have also been suspended. Iraqi judoka Sajjad Sehen tested positive for banned anabolic steroids, and Dominican volleyball player Lisvel Eve Mejia tested positive for furosemide.
