Nigeria’s long-distance runner Blessing Solomon has been banned from athletics for three years after testing positive for a prohibited substance at the Abuja Premium Trust Half Marathon.
The sanction was confirmed by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU).
In a ruling issued from its Monaco headquarters, the AIU stated that the 28-year-old committed Anti-Doping Rule Violations after Trimetazidine was detected in a urine sample collected during the race on December 6, 2025.
The sample was analysed by a laboratory accredited by the World Anti-Doping Agency in Lausanne, Switzerland, which reported an Adverse Analytical Finding on January 20.
According to the AIU, Solomon did not have a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) for the substance, and no irregularities were found in the testing or laboratory procedures.
She was notified of the charge and provisionally suspended on February 5. The AIU classified her case under Rule 2.1 (Presence of a Prohibited Substance) and Rule 2.2 (Use or Attempted Use of a Prohibited Substance) of the World Athletics Anti-Doping Rules.
Blessing Solomon admitted the violation within the stipulated timeframe but said she did not know how the substance entered her system. She signed an Admission of Anti-Doping Rule Violations and Acceptance of Consequences form on February 11.
Trimetazidine is listed under category S4 (Hormone and Metabolic Modulators) of the 2025 WADA Prohibited List and is banned at all times, both in and out of competition. As she was unable to prove the violation was unintentional, the standard four-year ban applied. However, her early admission resulted in a one-year reduction, leading to a three-year suspension effective from February 5, 2026.
The AIU also disqualified all her results from December 6, 2025, including any titles, prize money, or appearance fees.
While the decision is final at the AIU level, it may still be appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport by the athlete, WADA, or Nigerian anti-doping authorities.
Blessing Solomon will be ineligible to compete until February 2029, underscoring the strict enforcement of global anti-doping regulations.