Tobi Amusan: Clean Bill at Last    

Just a little over a year ago, she was the cynosure of all eyes after her returning time of 12:12 in the semifinals of the 100 metres hurdles at the World Athletics Championship in Oregon, United States, became a new world record. However, a shock wave was sent to Nigerians after she was suspended by the Athletes Integrity Unit (AIU) for failing the whereabouts test three times thereby making it doubtful as to her availability to defend her title in spite of AIU promising to look into her case before the kickoff of the championship in Budapest, Hungary. Interestingly, ahead of today’s WAC, Disciplinary Tribunal on Thursday cleared the 26-year-old of any wrong doing. How much damage the interim suspension might have done to her psyche however will be seen in her performance

One hundred metres hurdles world record holder, Tobi Amusan, was on Thursday cleared by the Disciplinary Tribunal to compete at the World Athletics Championships which start today in Budapest, Hungary after she was provisionary suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) for missing three whereabouts tests within a 12-month period.

AIU however released a statement to express its dissatisfaction with the outcome but said they will review the judgement before going to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

A panel of the Disciplinary Tribunal, by majority decision, found that 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 that the body 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”.

News out of Budapest from Athletics Federation of Nigerian, (AFN) said the world 100m hurdles record holder has been cleared and will now travel to Budapest to defend the historic gold medal she won last year at the 18th edition of the Championships.

The tribunal of three arbitrators exonerated Amusan from two out of the three tests after the Nigerian argued that the tester did not do enough from locating her.

Interestingly, Amusan had insisted that she was not a drug cheat.

“I am a clean athlete and I am regularly; (may be more than the usual) tested by the AIU-I was tested within days of my third ‘missed test.

” I have faith that this will be resolved  in my favour and that I will be competing at the World Championships in August,” Amusan wrote last month on her Facebook page.

On July 19, Nigerians and indeed the sporting world woke up to the news that track jewel and 100 metres hurdles world record holder, Amusan had been suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit.

The AIU suspended Amusan for missing three whereabout tests within a 12-month period, a charge that could result in a two-year suspension, even if an athlete has never failed a drug test.

The AIU, which is responsible for overseeing anti-doping measures in global athletics, has put in place strict rules and regulations to ensure the integrity of the sport and maintain fair competition for all athletes.

One of these rules requires athletes to submit information on their whereabouts, including their daily location and availability for testing, to the AIU’s Anti-Doping Administration and Management System (ADAMS).

Failure to provide accurate and timely information can result in sanctions, and in Amusan’s case, the three whereabouts failures had led to her provisional suspension from competitions.

The AIU’s decision will be further investigated and reviewed in accordance with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Code.

In reaction to the charge and now suspension, Amusan vowed to resolve the charges against her as she insists on being a “Clean Athlete” “I am a clean athlete, and I am regularly (maybe more than usual) tested by the AIU,” she wrote, in referencing the Athletics Integrity Unit, which oversees doping issues in international track and is the agency that charged her with the violation.

“Today, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) has charged me with an alleged rule violation for having three missed tests in 12 months.

“I intend to fight this charge and will have my case decided by a tribunal of three arbitrators before the start of next month’s World Championships,” she had vowed.

Reports were rife last weekend in the media  that the 26-year-old had been cleared to take part at the World Championships but the World Athletics was quick to debunk the reports that Amusan has been cleared to participate at the 2023 World Athletics Championships

Amusan’s name was excluded by AFN from the competition as while she was under doping investigation by AIU.

“Please be advised, reports that say Tobi Amusan has been cleared to compete in Budapest are wrong,” Nicole Jeffery, World Athletics’ Head of Communications had said in a statement.

“No decision has been made in this case yet. When a decision is made, it will be announced by the Athletics Integrity Unit.”

It would be recalled that the World Athletics included Amusan’s name on the entry list for the competition published penultimate week but with a proviso that her participation would depend on the outcome of the whereabouts failure charge preferred against her by the AIU.

The AIU was expected to make their decision known before the start of the World Athletics Championships today and they didn’t disappoint as it freed the 26-year-old of any wrong doing.

Amusan is currently the world record holder in the women’s 100m hurdles.

Meanwhile, the first batch of Nigerian athletes to the World Athletics Championships landed in Budapest on Tuesday, with officials still hoping that Amusan would be cleared by the AIU.

The first group of Nigerian athletes accompanied by the duo of Coach Tony Osheku and Gabriel Okon jetted out from the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos through a Turkish Airlines flight for weather acclamatisation and to put finishing touches to their preparations for the championships.

“About 80 per cent of the athletes have left for Budapest, so that they can get adequate rest. We are hopeful of a good outing, not only in the relays, but also in other events,” Athletics Federation of Nigeria’s (AFN) Technical Director, Samuel Onikeku said.

Interestingly, AFN President, Tonobok Okowa is optimistic of good news from AIU concerning Amusan’s case.

Amusan has the unenviable list of becoming the third athlete from the country to be provisionally suspended by AIU after the duo of compatriots-Divine Oduduru and Grace Nwokocha.

Amusan, 26, is the reigning women’s hurdles world record holder and champion after returning a time of 12.12 at the Oregon championship edition last year.

She now has the chance to defend the only title she has not defended in her career after her successful defence of her Nigeria, African Championships, African Games, Commonwealth Games and Diamond League titles.

How well Amusan recovers from the phycological damage the suspension has brought to her preparation towards the championship however remains to be seen.

The world athletics showpiece kicks off today and ends August 27.