Olutoyin "Toyin" Augustus (born 24 December 1979) is a Nigerian

hurdler Hurdling is the act of jumping over an obstacle at a high speed or in a sprint. In the early 19th century, hurdlers ran at and jumped over each hurdle (sometimes known as 'burgles'), landing on both feet and checking their forward motion. Today, ...

who competes in the

100 metres hurdles The 100 metres hurdles, or 100-meter hurdles, is a track and field event run mainly by women (the male counterpart is the 110 metres hurdles). For the race, ten hurdles of a height of are placed along a straight course of . The first hurdle is ...

. She began her career with a win at the

African Championships in Athletics The African Championships in Athletics is a continental athletics event organized by the Confederation of African Athletics (CAA), the continental association for the sport in Africa. Since its inaugural edition in 1979 it was at first organise ...

in 2006, easily beating the opposition to the 100 m hurdles title. She went on to represent Africa at the 2006 IAAF World Cup, where she finished in eighth place. In 2007, she added the All-Africa Games title to her continental one, holding off a challenge from compatriot Jessica Ohanaja. She began competing at the global level, making appearances at the 2007 World Championships, 2008 IAAF World Indoor Championships and the

2008 Beijing Olympic Games The 2008 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad () and also known as Beijing 2008 (), were an international multisport event held from 8 to 24 August 2008, in Beijing, China. A total of 10,942 athletes from 204 Nati ...

, but she did not get past the heats stage at any of the events. She faced strong competition at continental level also, as Fatmata Fofanah took the 100 m hurdles title at the 2008 African Championships, leaving Augustus to settle for the silver medal. She ran at the

2009 World Championships in Athletics The 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics () were held in Berlin, Germany from 15–23 August 2009. The majority of events took place in the Olympiastadion, while the marathon and racewalking events started and finished at the Brandenburg ...

, taking part in the hurdles competition as well as the women's 4×100 metres relay race for Nigeria. She reached the semi-final stage in the hurdles but was later disqualified and finished 16th overall in the sprint relay event. At the Berlin World Championships, Augustus was subject to a blood and urine test for the WADA. Her blood sample had no documented negative findings, but her urine sample tested positive for abnormal high levels of testosterone. The IAAF Doctor's opinion stated that "This finding could be compatible with an administration of testosterone and/or related prohormones…" A series of examinations and tests conducted by an MD specialist in gynecology and reproductive endocrinology at the USC (University of Southern California) Medical Hospital found that Augustus had multiple

ovarian cysts An ovarian cyst is a fluid-filled sac within the ovary. Often they cause no symptoms. Occasionally they may produce bloating, lower abdominal pain, or lower back pain. The majority of cysts are harmless. If the cyst either breaks open or causes ...

which the doctor linked to a disorder called

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Polycystic ovary syndrome, or PCOS, is the most common endocrine disorder in women of reproductive age. The syndrome is named after the characteristic cysts which may form on the ovaries, though it is important to note that this is a sign and no ...

or PCOS. PCOS is a metabolic dysfunction causing hormonal disruptions and elevated

DHEA Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), also known as androstenolone, is an endogenous steroid hormone precursor. It is one of the most abundant circulating steroids in humans. DHEA is produced in the adrenal glands, the gonads, and the brain. It functio ...

, a precursor hormone to other reproductive hormones such as testosterone. To contest the positive doping test and defend her case, Augustus (a United States resident) was required to attend the B sample testing conducted in Germany. If the B sample was also positive, she would then have to fly to Nigeria to present her case to a committee appointed by her country's athletic federation. This committee would be the ruling body on her case. Although the doctor at USC concluded that the PCOS disorder caused the elevated DHEA levels in Augustus’ urine sample, these findings were rejected by the Nigerian committee. Augustus was ordered to serve the two year mandatory ban from IAAF sanctioned athletics competitions. Augustus’ case was under review for several months, coming to a close in 2010. During this period Augustus continued to compete internationally, but withdrew from a competition in Belgium after notification that her case was rejected. Her ban was extended until February 2012 after it was discovered that she had competed while ineligible. Toyin has recently been featured in various television spots for Xfinity 3D, Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader? and most notably

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

where she and other student athletes debunk the myth of the dumb jock stigma. Her personal best time is 12.85 seconds, achieved in 2009 in Nantes. She currently serves as the Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging at Oakwood School in Los Angeles, California. Previously, she coached soccer and track at Phillips Exeter Academy.

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__NOTOC__ {{DEFAULTSORT:Augustus, Olutoyin 1979 births Living people Doping cases in athletics Yoruba sportswomen Nigerian female hurdlers Nigerian sportspeople in doping cases Olympic athletes of Nigeria Athletes (track and field) at the 2008 Summer Olympics African Games gold medalists for Nigeria African Games medalists in athletics (track and field) Phillips Exeter Academy faculty Athletes (track and field) at the 2007 All-Africa Games 21st-century Nigerian women

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