Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan has successfully secured the upturning of the provisional ban slammed on her by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) for missing three whereabouts tests within 12 months.
The AIU had on 19 July announced Amusan’s provisional ban, but the athlete vowed to challenge the decision along with her legal team, having insisted she was clean and had nothing to hide.
It was gathered Amusan’s case was argued before the AIU panel on Wednesday. After an exhaustive session, the world record holder in the 100m hurdles event was able to prove her case.
A statement was issued on Thursday night by the AIU, which read:
Quote
“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.” 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. ”
This development means Amusan has the go-ahead to defend her world title at the World Athletics Championships billed for Budapest, Hungary, from 19-27 August
Many had feared the worst following many days of silence from both the AIU and Amusan’s camp, but they was a great sense of relief after the decision from the AIU panel was made public on Saturday.
At last year’s World Championships in Eugene, Oregon Eugene, Amusan stunned fans and opponents alike when she broke the world record in the 100m hurdles semi-finals in a time that was the largest improvement for a world record in the event in 42 years.
She then ran a faster time in the final 90 minutes later, only for an illegal wind to make it illegible.
Interestingly, Amusan has suggested that it’s not impossible to break her 100m Hurdles World Record (WR) again.
In a post in June 2023 on the World Athletics Instagram page, where she was seen training and preparing for the Golden Spikes meet in Ostrava, Amusan declared she could still break her WR.
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“I’m a big believer in the Bible; nothing is impossible, and 11 seconds? Most definitely,”
it read.If she successfully does this, Tobi Express, as fans call her, will become the first woman ever to run a sub-12s time in the women’s 100m Hurdles, which would be an unarguable claim to the greatest of all time in the event.
It is, however, not sure how the initial provisional ban would have affected the preparations of Amusan in the build-up to Budapest.
While some feel the uncertainties in the past days are capable of negatively affecting her, some others feel it could even be the needed tonic for Amusan to shame critics and those hoping for her downfall.
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