Australia gains another bronze after Nigerian drug cheats stripped of Commonwealth Games gold
Australia’s 4x100m Women’s relay team (l-r) Ella Connolly, Jacinta Beecher, Bree Masters and Naa Anang have been moved up from fourth to third place. Photo: AAP
A Nigerian doping scandal has seen Australia belatedly awarded an additional bronze medal from last year’s Birimingham Commonwealth Games.
Nigeria won the women’s 4x100m in track and field at the Games after qualifying fastest and Australia took fourth.
But confirmation of a doping violation means Nigeria have been stripped of the win and Australia have been elevated to third, behind new gold medallists England and silver medallists Jamaica.
Australia topped the medal tally at last year’s Games and that count now becomes 67 gold, 57 silver and 55 bronze.
It means maiden Commonwealth Games medals for Ella Connolly, Bree Masters, Naa Anang and Jacinta Beecher, as well as heat runner Mia Gross.
Australia also win a Commonwealth Games medal in the event for the first time since bronze at the Melbourne 2006 event.
“The Commonwealth Games Federation confirmed that the violation was regarding an in-competition sample from the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games that returned an adverse analytical finding of substances banned on the WADA 2022 prohibited list,” Commonwealth Games Australia said in a statement.
The CGA congratulated the relay team, adding it would acknowledge the latest Australian medallists at an appropriate time.
-AAP
