Nigerian sprinter Tobi Amusan has been given the green light by World Athletics to compete in the upcoming world championship in Budapest, Hungary, following her exoneration from doping allegations.
The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) confirmed her innocence through a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), absolving her of any anti-doping rule violation.
Amusan successfully appealed the provisional ban imposed by the AIU, which had resulted from her failure to comply with three whereabouts tests within a 12-month period.
The AIU had initially announced the ban on July 19th, after which the athlete vowed to challenge the decision along with her legal team, having insisted she was clean and had nothing to hide.
According to sources, Amusan’s case was argued before the AIU panel on Wednesday. After an exhaustive session, the world record holder in the 100m hurdles event was able to prove her case.
A statement was issued yesterday night by the AIU, reads in part: “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 12 months.
“AIU Head Brett Clothier has indicated the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) is disappointed by 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 decision is currently confidential but will be published in due course.
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“Amusan’s provisional suspension has now been lifted with immediate effect. ” the statement concluded.
This development means Amusan has the go-ahead to defend her world title at the World Athletics Championships billed for Budapest, Hungary, from 19-27 August.
Many had feared the worst following many days of silence from both the AIU and Amusan’s camp, but they was a great sense of relief after the decision from the AIU panel was made public on Thursday.
At last year’s World Championships in Eugene, Oregon Eugene, Amusan stunned fans and opponents alike when she broke the world record in the 100m hurdles semi-finals in a time that was the largest improvement for a world record in the event in 42 years.
She then ran a faster time in the final 90 minutes later, only for an illegal wind to make it illegible.
Interestingly, Amusan has suggested that it’s not impossible to break her 100m Hurdles World Record (WR) again.
In a post in June 2023 on the World Athletics Instagram page, where she was seen training and preparing for the Golden Spikes meet in Ostrava, Amusan declared she could still break her WR.
“I’m a big believer in the Bible; nothing is impossible, and 11 seconds? Most definitely,” it read.
Brace up for great performance, Aliu urges Amusan
Meanwhile, Deji Aliu, Nigeria’s former Olympic medal winning sprinter, on Friday appealed to Tobi Amusan to brace up for a good performance at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary.
Aliu made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Lagos, urging Amusan to put behind her the suspension saga by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU).
“The incident will definitely affect her mindset, though I’m still expecting her to go out there and put in a good performance. My happiness is her name that has been cleared.
“I’m wishing Team Nigeria all the best, there’s no greater platform than this as an athlete. Being a part of the team is a win, winning a medal is a win also. I wish them success,” he said.