Tobi Amusan, the record holder in the women’s 100m hurdles, has been charged by the Athletic Integrity Unit (AIU) for missing doping tests, as revealed in an Instagram post in the early hours of Wednesday.
Amusan acknowledged that the AIU accused her of violating its rule by “missing three tests in 12 months.” According to AIU regulations, athletes who miss tests within a year are considered to have committed an anti-doping rule violation.
The penalty for such a violation can result in a two-year suspension, although the duration may be reduced to a minimum of one year based on the degree of fault.
Responding to the charge, the Nigerian athlete vehemently asserted her status as “a clean athlete” and expressed her determination to contest the allegations.
In her statement, the 26-year-old stated, “Today, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) has charged me with an alleged rule violation for having three missed tests in 12 months. I intend to fight this charge and will have my case decided by a tribunal of 3 arbitrators before the start of next month’s World Championships. I am a clean athlete and regularly, if not 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 favor, and I will be competing at the World Championships in August.”
Amusan has been in exceptional form leading up to the upcoming 2023 World Athletics Championship, where she is anticipated to defend her title.
Her recent achievements include winning the women’s 100m hurdles at the Gyulai Istvan Memorial in Hungary with a time of 12.25 seconds.
This victory followed her remarkable performance at the Silesia Diamond League in Poland on Sunday, where she set a new meet record and ran a season-best time of 12.34 seconds.
