The announcement last night that reigning World Women’s 100 Metres Hurdles Record Holder Tobi Amusan of Nigeria has been cleared to compete in the World Athletics Championships beginning in Budapest, Hungary tomorrow morning, Saturday 19th August, brought some cheer and relief to her followers and many track and field lovers all over the world, but especially in Nigeria.
In a press release published on its X (Twitter) handle as well as on its website at 8.30 last night, the Athletics Integrity Unit, AIU said:
“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.”
Following that verdict, AIU said, “Amusan’s provisional suspension has now been lifted with immediate effect.”
The statement said, though, that AIU Head Brett Clothier had indicated that the Unit is disappointed by the tribunal 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.
But the lifting of the provisional suspension has paved the way for the athlete to defend the world title and the record she set in Eugene, Oregon, United States in August last year.
Tobi Amusan is of course ecstatic and her fans are jubilant that the suspense of the last 6 weeks has been brought to a close.
Her shouts of “Halleluyah!!!!!!! THANK YOU DADDY” could be heard all way from Budapest to Nigeria.
In a statement made via her verified Facebook page and Instagram handle, Amusan expressed a mixture of relief and gratitude, acknowledging the support received from fans, friends, and family throughout the challenging period. The Nigerian sprinter affirmed her unwavering commitment to clean and fair competition, reiterating that she has always competed within the confines of the rules and regulations set forth by international sports bodies.
“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.”
She now joins other legends of athletics to participate in the World Athletics Championships and her event begins next Tuesday.
On 19th July 2023, AIU announced that it had charged and provisionally suspended Tobi Amusan for 3 Whereabouts Failures, explaining that the charge will be heard by the Disciplinary Tribunal and determined before the World Athletics Championships.
A Provisional Suspension is when an athlete or any other person is suspended temporarily from participating in any competition or activity in athletics prior to a final decision at a hearing conducted under the World Athletics Anti-Doping Rules or the Integrity Code of Conduct.
Amusan missed several Wanda Golden League events during the period of her suspension. Those events would have served to prepare her for Budapest 2023 and kept her in top shape to defend her title. However, being the disciplined athlete that she is, it is expected that she would have even intensified her training, assured of victory at the tribunal and that she will eventually participate.
Amusan had insisted in her defence of the allegations that she was not a drug cheat and had been sure all would be resolved before the World Championships and she has now been justified that the Independent Tribunal, by a majority decision, found her innocent of the allegations leveled against her by the AIU. The question many people had asked in the last days before her clearance was why the not guilty notice had come just hours before opening events, when she faced the tribunal a week ago. It even took the tribunal three weeks to invite her to be heard.
But all that is now history. And whatever AIU Head Brett Clothier and the Unit do in terms of asking for a review in the Court of Arbitration for Sport will be after Budapest.
