England’s 4×100 metres women’s relay team have been upgraded to 2022 Commonwealth Games gold after original winners Nigeria were disqualified because of a doping violation, it was announced Friday.
The English quartet of Asha Philip, Imani-Lara Lansiquot, Bianca Williams and Daryll Neita finished second on home soil in the Midlands city of Birmingham last year
However, the Commonwealth Games Federation has announced Nigeria sprinter Nzubechi Grace Nwokocha had returned an adverse finding in her sample for two banned anabolic agents.
Nwokocha’s results from the 100m, 200m and sprint relay have been declared void, with the issue of her anti-doping infractions passed on to the Athletics Integrity Unit for any possible further sanctions.
England’s promotion to gold means they have retained the Commonwealth relay title, with Jamaica awarded second place and Australia taking bronze.
Ashleigh Nelson, who ran in the heat, will also receive a gold medal as a member of the England relay squad.
“Our team really deserves it as we work hard to achieve these medals,” Neita said on www.teamengland.org. “It is a bittersweet feeling, now finding out we won gold.
“It feels amazing. However, it remains unknown as to what it would have felt like in the moment with the home crowd celebrating that win in Birmingham.”
The Commonwealth Games are a multi-sport event that take place once every fours years, with the competing nations all mainly once part of the British Empire, which in turn became the Commonwealth of Nations.