Tobi Amusan Cleared of Doping Charges as AIU Fails to Appeal
Nigerian hurdler Tobi Amusan, who holds the world record in the women’s 100 metres hurdles, is free to resume her career after the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) failed to appeal against the lifting of her provisional suspension for whereabouts failures.
Amusan was banned by the AIU on August 15, 2023, two days before the start of the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, where she finished sixth in the final. She was accused of missing three out-of-competition tests in a 12-month period, which constitutes a doping violation under the World Anti-Doping Code.
However, Amusan challenged the suspension and appealed to a three-man disciplinary tribunal set up by World Athletics. The tribunal cleared her of two of the three alleged failures on August 17, 2023, and lifted the ban with immediate effect.
The AIU expressed its disappointment with the verdict and vowed to review the reasoning in detail before deciding whether to exercise its right of appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) within 30 days. AIU Head Brett Clothier also indicated that the Monaco-based body would appeal the decision, saying that it had “some concern that it might set a precedent which will be difficult for future” cases.
However, the 30-day deadline expired yesterday without any sign of an appeal from the AIU, meaning that Amusan is now a free athlete and can continue to compete without any restrictions. She is already in Oregon, USA, to participate in the lucrative Diamond League final today.
It is not clear whether Amusan will seek legal action against the AIU for the suspension, which disrupted her preparation for Budapest 2023 and tarnished her reputation. She has maintained her innocence throughout the ordeal and said that she never missed any tests intentionally.
