Tobi Amusan set to defend world title in Budapest after being cleared of whereabouts failure charges

Tobi Amusan, the world champion and record holder in the women’s 100m hurdles, has been cleared to compete at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest after a disciplinary tribunal found the Nigerian had not committed an anti-doping rule violation.

LAST MONTH’S SUSPENSION

The 26-year-old received a provisional suspension last month after being charged with missing three doping tests in a 12-month period, leaving her participation at the global showpiece in doubt. She had insisted in a statement posted on her social media that she is a “clean athlete” and is tested “regularly”, expressing faith that the case would be resolved in her favour.

MAJORITY DECISION

“A panel of the Disciplinary Tribunal, by majority decision, has today found that Tobi Amusan has not committed an Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV) of three Whereabouts Failures within a 12-month period,” the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) announced on Thursday.

DISAPPOINTED AIU

The AIU through its Head Brett Clothier has however expressed disappointment at this decision and will review the reasoning in detail before deciding whether to exercise its right of appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) within the applicable deadline.

The reasoning for the decision has not been published yet. The AIU said it is “currently confidential but will be published in due course.

“Amusan’s provisional suspension has now been lifted with immediate effect,” the AIU added.

AMUSAN RARING TO GO

Amusan wrote on Instagram: “I am thrilled to put this behind me, and I look forward to defending my title at next week’s World Championships. I generally have been and consistently will be an ally for clean sport.”

The 100m hurdles competition at Budapest 2023 will be held from August 22 to August 24.

WORLD RECORD

Amusan stunned the world at last year’s World Championships in Eugene, USA, when she lowered the women’s 100m hurdles world record from 12.20 to 12.12 in the semi-finals. Later that day she won the final with a wind-aided 12.06, to claim Nigeria’s first-ever world title. Her world record of 12.12 was officially ratified by World Athletics last September.

Amusan continued her record-breaking performance in Birmingham, where she won her second consecutive Commonwealth Games 100m hurdles title.

Credit: AIPS Media