Lawrence Okolie Fails Drug Test Ahead of Tony Yoka Fight in Paris
British heavyweight contender, WBC No. 1 contender, vows to clear name after positive test; Saturday bout in doubt
L'essentiel
- British heavyweight contender Lawrence Okolie has returned an adverse finding in a VADA anti-doping test ahead of his scheduled bout against French fighter Tony Yoka in Paris on Saturday.
- Okolie, the WBC's No.
- 1 ranked contender whose title is held by Oleksandr Usyk, claims the positive result is due to treatment for an elbow injury sustained during camp.
Résumé généré par IA
Pourquoi c'est important
Lawrence Okolie is a former cruiserweight world champion who moved up to heavyweight. He is the WBC's No. 1 ranked contender for the title held by Oleksandr Usyk. His intended opponent Tony Yoka won super-heavyweight gold at the 2016 Rio Olympics and previously served a one-year ban from the French anti-doping agency in 2018 for failing to provide a doping sample three times.
The world heavyweight title contender Lawrence Okolie has pledged to "clear my name" after a failed a drugs test before his bout against Tony Yoka this weekend. The British fighter, a former cruiserweight world champion who moved up to heavyweight, had been scheduled to face the Frenchman in Paris on Saturday but that event is now in doubt. He is the No 1-ranked contender by the WBC, whose belt is held by Oleksandr Usyk. In an announcement, the promoter Queensberry wrote: "Last night the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (Vada) informed Queensberry that Lawrence Okolie returned an adverse finding following an anti-doping test conducted ahead of the show. A further update regarding the event will be made it due course." In a personal post on Instagram, Okolie wrote: "Before anyone starts imagining the worst, following my bicep injury last year, I sustained an elbow injury on the same arm during this camp. I had a treatment on it and now here we are. I truly hope sense prevails. I will of course be fully co-operating with all the relevant authorities and I'm confident any investigation will clear my name." Okolie's intended opponent Yoka took the super-heavyweight gold medal at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. He served a one-year ban imposed by the French anti-doping agency in 2018 for failing to give a doping sample three times in a one-year period.
À surveiller
Perspective IA — des possibilités, pas des certitudes
The Paris fight will be postponed or cancelled
Très probable · En quelques jours
Okolie will cooperate fully with VADA investigation
Très probable · En quelques semaines
Questions ouvertes
- What specific substance was detected in Okolie's test?
- What treatment caused the positive finding?
- Will the fight be postponed or cancelled?
- What will the investigation conclude?
