Nigerian long and triple jumper Goodness Iredia has been handed a three-year ban after testing positive for a prohibited substance, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) announced.
The 20-year-old was sanctioned following a failed doping test that detected the presence of Metenolone and its metabolite 3a-Hydroxy-1-methylene-5a-androstan-17-one.
According to the AIU, Iredia provided a urine sample on January 31, 2025, during an in-competition test in Louisville, United States. The sample, coded 8081364, was analysed by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)-accredited laboratory in South Jordan, Utah.
On February 19, 2025, the laboratory reported an Adverse Analytical Finding (AAF) due to the presence of Metenolone, an anabolic steroid, and its metabolite. The AIU reviewed the findings under Article 5 of the International Standard for Results Management (ISRM) and confirmed that:
More Read
“The athlete did not have a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) that had been granted (or that would be granted) for the Metenolone or its Metabolite found in the Sample.”
Additionally, the AIU determined that no procedural errors contributed to the adverse result:
“There was no apparent departure from the International Standard for Testing and Investigations (ISTI) or from the International Standard for Laboratories (ISL) that could reasonably have caused the Adverse Analytical Finding.”
Following the findings, the AIU provisionally suspended Iredia on February 26, 2025, notifying him of the AAF and potential Anti-Doping Rule Violations under Rule 2.1 ADR and Rule 2.2 ADR.
On March 5, 2025, Iredia submitted a signed Admission of Anti-Doping Rule Violations and Acceptance of Consequences Form to the AIU. His admission meant he waived the right to contest the charges, resulting in the confirmation of his three-year ban.
With his admission, Iredia’s period of ineligibility was reduced from the standard four years to three years, effective from the date of his provisional suspension. Additionally, all results achieved from January 31, 2025, onward were disqualified.
Who is Goodness Iredia?
Goodness Iredia is a Nigerian track and field athlete specializing in the long jump, triple jump, and high jump. In 2024, he won gold in the long jump and triple jump at the AAC Outdoor Championships and was named a First Team All-American in the long jump after placing seventh at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Championships.
Before transferring to South Florida, Iredia was an NAIA national champion in the long jump for Cumberland in 2023, where he swept first place in all three jumping events at the Mid-South Conference Championships.
On the international stage, Iredia won the bronze medal in the long jump at the 2024 African Athletics Championships and is the reigning Nigerian national champion in the triple jump.
Nigerian athletes facing doping bans
Iredia is not the only Nigerian athlete currently serving a doping suspension. Several high-profile Nigerian track and field athletes have been sanctioned for similar violations in recent years, including:
- Blessing Okagbare – Banned for 11 years due to multiple doping offenses.
- Divine Oduduru – Serving a six-year ban for anti-doping violations.
- Grace Nwokocha – Currently serving a suspension after testing positive for Ostarine and Dihydroxy-LGD4033.
© Bold Media Innovations & Creative Hub Limited. All rights reserved. If sharing, kindly credit Bold Sports as the source and include a link to the original post. Unauthorised use is prohibited.
