Emmanuel OchayiNigerian athlete, Tobi Amusan, in a favorable turn of events, has been cleared to participate in the upcoming World Athletics Championships.
The championship is scheduled to begin this Saturday in the city of Budapest, Hungary.
Amusan is the reigning world champion and record holder in the Women’s 100m hurdles.
A statement from the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) posted on their official Twitter account 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.
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Brett Clothier, the head of AIU, expressed the organisation’s disappointment in this ruling. He also stated that the Athletics Integrity Unit will thoroughly review the rationale behind the decision before considering the option to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) within the stipulated time limit.
It would be recalled that the 26-year-old athlete had been accused of committing three whereabouts failures, which typically constitutes a violation for missing three out-of-competition tests within a year. Amusan, however, vehemently contested this charge.
With the clearing of her name, Tobi Amusan is now presented with the opportunity to safeguard the sole title that she has got in her athletic career.
This change follows her triumphant defense of her Nigeria, African Championships, African Games, Commonwealth Games, and Diamond League titles.
Reports indicate that a panel of three arbitrators acquitted Amusan of two out of the three tests, as Amusan argued that the tester had not adequately attempted to locate her during those instances.
Notably, throughout the proceedings, Tobi Amusan consistently maintained her stance of being a clean athlete who has consistently undergone frequent testing by AIU.
She highlighted that she was tested shortly after the occurrence of her third ‘missed test’. In a statement she made last month on her Facebook page, Amusan expressed her confidence that the matter would be resolved in her favor, allowing her to participate in the World Championships slated for August.
“I am a clean athlete and I am regularly; (may be more than 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.” She had said.
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