UK athlete mentioned in probe of disgraced US therapist, according to Times report
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UK Athletics has been hit by another reported doping case ahead of the Paris Olympics.
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LONDON – A male British Olympic athlete is under investigation by anti-doping authorities after being mentioned in court papers linked to the case against American therapist Eric Lira, The Times of London has reported.
The Athletics Integrity Unit is investigating the matter, according to the British newspaper.
Lira faces a jail sentence – reportedly 10 years – after pleading guilty in May to supplying performance-enhancing drugs to Olympians, including Nigerian sprinter Blessing Okagbare.
Okagbare was withdrawn hours before the Tokyo Olympics women’s 100m semi-finals in 2021 after a positive test emerged and has since been banned.
In a submission said to have been made by Damian Williams, the attorney for the Southern District of New York, a competitor from the United Kingdom is listed as “Athlete 3” in the case.
That athlete is not identified. A Swiss athlete, again unidentified, is also referenced.
Okagbare is believed to be “Athlete 1”.
The letter from Williams to the sentencing judge, which has also been seen by the BBC, states: “Athlete 1 was not the only Olympic competitor who received PEDs (performance-enhancing drugs) from Lira.
“Lira separately met with a third Olympic athlete who competed on behalf of the United Kingdom (Athlete 3) multiple times in the summer of 2021 for the purpose of providing him with PEDs.
“In short, Lira travelled across the United States to deliver and/or administer various drugs to various Olympic athletes, all with the calculated aim of impacting the outcome of the Tokyo Olympics.”
Specifically, it added that “Lira travelled to New York, Florida and Atlanta, with coaches paying him thousands to enhance the performances of athletes preparing for Tokyo”.
“The actual scope of Lira’s offence conduct stands in sharp contrast to his narrow admission of guilt in his sentencing submission,” the letter concluded.
Lira is the first person to be charged under the Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act, named after the Russian whistle-blower and former anti-doping official Grigory Rodchenkov.
UK Athletics (UKA) has declined to comment, but the news is a another blow to the governing body, which is in need for new sponsorship against a backdrop of financial difficulties, according to The Times.
The news outlet reported that latest figures show that UKA lost £3.7 million (S$6.3 million) for the past financial year, “not least because of a lack of sponsorship revenue and the absence of a broadcasting deal”.
The team are also heading into the 2024 Paris Olympics on the back of a positive doping test for C.J. Ujah, which led to Britain losing their silver medal in the men’s sprint relay in Tokyo. AFP
