Tobi Amusan, the world record-holder in women’s hurdles and a prominent figure in Nigerian athletics, has firmly denied accusations of a doping rule violation made against her by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU).
In an Instagram post on Wednesday, the 26-year-old track sensation declared her innocence, stating, “I am a clean athlete and undergo regular and rigorous testing by the AIU, perhaps even more frequently than usual.”
Amusan revealed that she had been tested shortly after her third alleged missed test, expressing confidence that the matter would be resolved in her favor before the commencement of the 2023 World Championships in August. The highly anticipated event is scheduled to take place in Budapest from August 19 to August 27.
Detailing the charge against her, Amusan said, “Today, the AIU accused me of an alleged rule violation for supposedly missing three tests within a 12-month period. I intend to fight this charge and present my case before a tribunal consisting of three arbitrators prior to the start of the World Championships.”
Renowned for setting the current world record of 12.12 seconds in the Women’s 100m hurdles at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in the United States, Amusan continues to impress. Recently, she achieved a new meet record at the Silesia Diamond League competition in Poland, securing her second Diamond League victory of the season.
Notably, Amusan was a crucial member of Nigeria’s gold-winning 4×100 relay squad at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. However, the team’s triumph was tarnished when anchor runner Grace Nwokocha failed a doping test, resulting in their disqualification and forfeiture of the medal.
Athletics operates under a three-strike rule, wherein athletes who fail to provide accurate whereabouts information for doping tests may incur a missed test declaration or filing failure. Three such infractions within a 12-month period constitute an anti-doping violation.
