NIGERIAN athlete Tobi Amusan has been given the all-clear to participate in the 2023 World Athletics Championships scheduled to begin on Saturday in Budapest, Hungary after her provisional suspension was lifted.
The women’s 100m hurdles world record holder and world champion was provisionally suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit four weeks ago after she was accused of missing three out-of-competition drug tests in one year, which is a violation of anti-doping rules.
Amusan vehemently insisted that she was not guilty and she has now been cleared.
“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 AIU, the independent body created by the World
Athletics that manages all integrity issues – both doping and non-doping –
for the sport of athletics, announced tonight.
However, the body declared that it was not satisfied with the decision and could appeal, but Amusan is now free to defend her World Athletics Championships title in Budapest.
“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 body added.
“The decision is currently confidential but will be published in due course.
Amusan’s provisional suspension has now been lifted with immediate effect.”
Amusan, 26, stunned the global athletics community last year in Oregon, United States of America when she ran 12.12 seconds in the 100m hurdles semi-final to become the first Nigerian to hold a world record in the sport.
She followed up shortly after to win the gold medal in the event, also her country’s first individual title at the World Athletics Championships.
She was coming into solid form for the 2023 World Athletics Championships with some impressive runs when she was suspended.
