Nigerian pair of Divine Oduduru and Blessing Okagbare have been reprieved after an apparent bureaucratic mix up and will race in the men’s and women’s 200 meters races respectively at the world athletics championships.
The pair were both entered in the 100 meters, though they said they did not intend to take part. Under IAAF rules, they were then barred from the rest of the competition for failing to turn up for the races.
However, yesterday, the IAAF jury said it accepted their appeal and agreed to reinstate them. “Oduduru and Okagbare would be added to the start lists of round one of the 200 men and women respectively,” it said in a statement.
The Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), which had tweeted on Friday that the pair would only race 200 meters had been criticized over the failure to withdraw them from the 100 meters.