Twenty six year old Nigerian 100m hurdles world champion and world record holder Tobi Amusan has had her suspension lifted after she being found to not have broken anti-doping rules over missed tests.
Amusan had been accused of missing three doping tests and the double Commonwealth Games gold medallist denied any wrongdoing when accused of taking performance-enhancing substances.
The Nigerian hurdler can now defend her world title in Budapest this weekend after an Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) disciplinary tribunal hearing nearly cost her a chance to participate at the World Athletics Championships.
A disciplinary tribunal found that Amusan didn’t breach any anti-doping rule after anti-doping authorities investigated a charge against her last month for missing three drug tests in a 12-month span— which can trigger up to a two-year suspension even if an athlete never fails a drug test. This now led to the lifting of her provisional suspension with immediate effect, according to the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), which handles doping cases in track and field.
World Athletics’ anti-doping rules state any athlete failing to declare their whereabouts for a doping test on three occasions over a 12-month period is ineligible to compete for two years, subject to a reduction to a minimum of one year depending on the degree of fault.
The AIU in a statement said: “A panel of the disciplinary tribunal, by majority decision, has today found that Tobi Amusan has not committed an Anti-Doping Rule Violation of three whereabouts failures within a 12-month period.
“AIU head Brett Clothier has indicated the 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.”
Amusan’s response on her Instagram social media account said: “I am thrilled to put this behind me, and I look forward to defending my title at next week’s world championships,” was posted on Amusan’s social media. “I generally have been & consistently will be an ally of CLEAN SPORT.”
Amusan and the AIU did not provide any more details about the reversal in their statements.
Amusan set the women’s 100m hurdles world record at the World Championships in Eugene, Oregon in July 2022, crossing the line in 12.12 seconds to lower the world record from 12.20 seconds. She won the final in 12.06 later that day, but that time didn’t count for record purposes because there was too much tailwind.
This season, Amusan ranks second in the world by best time (12.34) behind Olympic gold medalist Jasmine Camacho-Quinn of Puerto Rico (12.31).
The first round of the 100m hurdles at worlds in Budapest is Tuesday.
