World champion in 100m hurdles, Tobi Amusan, has been cleared to compete in the forthcoming World Athletics Championship after the Disciplinary Tribunal of the Athletics Integrity Unit, found her not guilty of doping violations.
The Athletics Integrity Unit, a body responsible for tracking doping cases in track and field had provisionally suspended the athlete for missing drug tests three times in a 12-month span and she was at risk of missing out on defending her title at the World Championship which begins on Saturday in Budapest, Hungary.
However, a press statement from the AIU Thursday evening stated that the disciplinary tribunal has cleared her of any anti-doping rule violation, though no further details have been disclosed about the reversal.
The AIU expressed disappointment over the ruling of the Disciplinary Tribunal and indicated its decision to appeal the verdict at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) after a thorough review of the ruling.
“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,” the statement read.
The 26-year-old athlete would have suffered a two-year ban if she had been found guilty but the Thursday ruling will come as a big relief for the Commonwealth Games champion and Team Nigeria preparing for the championships.
Amusan had insisted that she is a clean athlete who has been tested more times than most athletes.
“I am a CLEAN ATHLETE, and I am regularly; (maybe more than usual) tested by the AIU – I was tested within days of my third ‘missed test,’” Amusan posted on social media last month. “I have FAITH that this will be resolved in my favor and that I will be competing at the World Championships in August.”
