Tobi Amusan cleared to compete at 2023 World Athletics Championships

Tobi Amusan at the World Athletics Championships Eugene, Oregon, USA.

Reigning World 100m hurdles champion and record holder, Tobi Amusan has been cleared to compete at the World Athletics Championships which starts this Saturday in Budapest, Hungary.

Amusan 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:

“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.

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.

Amusan now has the chance to defend the only title she has not defended in her career after her successful defence of her Nigeria, African Championships, African Games, Commonwealth Games and Diamond League titles.

It was gathered that the tribunal of three arbitrators exonerated Amusan from two out of the three tests after the Nigerian argued that the tester did not do enough from locating her.

Interestingly, Amusan had insisted that she was not a drug cheat.

“I am a clean athlete and I am regularly; (may be more than the 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,” Amusan wrote last month on her Facebook page.