Hurdles World Record Holder Amusan Faces Charges for 'Whereabouts' Violation

 

Tobi Amusan, the world record holder in the 100m hurdles, stated on Wednesday that she has been accused of missing three doping tests. However, she denies using any performance-enhancing substances and expects to be cleared for participation in the world championships.

The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) has provisionally suspended Amusan due to three "whereabouts failures" and the charge will be reviewed by the Disciplinary Tribunal before the upcoming world championships in Budapest from August 19 to 27.

In an Instagram post, the Nigerian athlete wrote, "I am a clean athlete, and I am regularly, maybe more than the usual, tested by the AIU - I was tested within days of my third 'missed test'." She maintains her belief that the matter will be resolved in her favor, allowing her to compete in the world championships in August.

Amusan's case will be decided by a tribunal consisting of three arbitrators.

As per the World Athletics Anti-Doping Rules, the penalty for three 'whereabouts' failures is two years of ineligibility, with a possibility of reduction to a minimum of one year depending on the athlete's level of fault.

Athletics follows a three-strikes rule, wherein an athlete may incur a missed test or filing failure if they do not provide accurate whereabouts information for a doping test. Accumulating three strikes within a 12-month period is considered an anti-doping violation.

Recently, Amusan secured a victory at the Silesia Diamond League meet, marking her second Diamond League win of the season.

Notably, she made history in 2022 by becoming the first Nigerian world champion and world record holder in an athletics event, achieving this feat in Eugene, Ore., where she set the world record of 12.12 seconds.

While Amusan's 4x100 relay squad won gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, their medal was later stripped when anchor runner Grace Nwokocha failed a doping test.