Tobias Sylvester
United States-based female shot put thrower, Oyesade Olatoye has been stripped of her gold and bronze medals won at the recent African Games held in Morocco by International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).
22-year-old Ohio State athlete, who represented Nigeria, won gold in the women’s shot put and a bronze medal in the women hammer throw at the last African Games in Rabat, Morocco.
The world athletics body said in a statement on Thursday that Olatoye, a former USA junior athlete was not cleared by its Nationality Review Panel before switching alliance to Nigeria and competed for Team Nigeria at the African Games.
“In reference to the transfer of allegiance for Oyesade Olatoye, the final decision of the NRP has determined that the athlete was not eligible to represent Nigeria at the time of the 2019 African Games and that her results there have to be annulled,” the statement read.
The athlete will lose both medals due to ineligibility.
Going by the revised IAAF rule, athletes now require a minimum of three years waiting period before they may transfer to represent another Member Federation. That is even hinged on the new country granting full citizenship.
Olatoye who had previously competed as junior for the USA was not properly cleared in line with the revised IAAF rule before the Games in Morocco.
The Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) was not involved in her clearance and did not bother to do due diligence to ascertain her eligibility before taking her to Morocco for the Games.
She engaged a lawyer to facilitate her clearance with her father’s consent.
Olatoye’s performance in Rabat qualified her for the IAAF World Athletics Championships in Doha, Qatar.
Despite missing the two medals, she is now qualified to represent Nigeria at future games.
