The Rio 2016 Paralympic Games gold medalist and world record holder in the men’s 65kg para-powerlifting category, Paul Kehinde, popularly called Olumi Agberin, is dead.
Kehinde died at 33 after a brief illness.
Sadly too, his death came barely five weeks after being issued a 30-month ban for committing an anti-doping rule violation by the International Paralympic Committee.
A media attache to Nigeria Paralympic Federation, Fred Edoreh, confirmed his death on Friday.
When contacted, he said, “Yes, he is dead. He died yesterday (Thursday) and will be buried in Epe today.”
At 2016 Summer Olympics, Kehinde took the gold with a lift of 218kg and set a world and Paralympic record of 220kg with a bonus effort.
In the men’s under-72kg category at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, Kehinde lifted 221kg for gold, narrowly beating compatriot Rolland Ezuruike by less than a kilogram.
Kehinde could not successfully defend his title at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games, losing out to Ezuruike for the gold, but did take silver.
In a statement by the IPC on October 11, Kehinde was said to have tested positive for prohibited substances following a urine sample provided out-of-competition on March 9, 2020. Making this his second ADRV.
The substances; hydrochlorothiazide and its metabolite and amiloride are included on the World Anti-Doping Agency 2020 Prohibited List under the class S5 Diuretics and Masking Agents.
The IPC’s Anti-Doping Director James Sclater, then said, “This case may have been avoided if the athlete had followed the rules for Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUEs) and verified that his prescribed medication was prohibited.
“The IPC would like to strongly remind all athletes who require the use of a prohibited substance or method, for a diagnosed medical condition, to apply for a TUE in accordance with the WADA ISTUE requirements.”
The statement added, “Results obtained by the Athlete from the date the sample was collected will also be disqualified, with all resulting consequences, including forfeiture of any medals, points, and prizes.”
His ineligibility period started on March 9, 2020, and is to expire on September 8, 2022, and all results since his out-of-competition test have been wiped.