Oluwatosin Enesi
Tobi Amusan, the current title holder and record breaker in the 100m hurdles at the global stage, has been cleared to take part in the approaching World Athletics Championships scheduled to commence this Saturday in Budapest, Hungary.
In the past, the athlete who is 26 years old had faced charges of three instances of not being present at the designated locations, resulting in a violation of the anti-doping regulations for skipping three out-of-competition tests within a year. Amusan had disputed this allegation.
A recent update from the Nigerian Athletics Federation has officially verified that Tobi Amusan, the world record holder in the 100m hurdles, has been exonerated from the allegations. As a result, she is now set to travel to Budapest to uphold the significant gold medal she secured in the prior year during the 18th edition of the Championships.
This exoneration offers Amusan the chance to protect the sole title in her career that she has yet to safeguard, after effectively retaining her titles in the Nigerian Championships, African Championships, African Games, Commonwealth Games, and Diamond League.
Reports suggest that a panel of three arbitrators acquitted Amusan of two of the three missed tests, following the Nigerian athlete’s argument that the tester had not exerted adequate efforts to locate her.
According to a statement released by Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), “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.
“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.”
“Amusan’s provisional suspension has now been lifted with immediate effect.” the statement concluded.
This update signifies that Amusan is now authorized to protect her global championship title at the World Athletics Championships scheduled to take place in Budapest, Hungary, spanning from August 19th to August 27th.
Reacting, Amusan, in a post via her Instagram account, thanked God and all those who supported her.
She said, “Thank you Daddy. This morning I found out that the Independent Tribunal that heard my case has ruled that I did not violate the whereabouts rules and as a result, I will not be sanctioned and none of my results will be precluded.
“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 of CLEAN SPORT.
“To my five fingers; God is the greatest and I genuinely appreciate you all for the support.”
Our Reporter
