ABUJA, Nigeria — Tobi Amusan, the women’s hurdles world record holder, announced on Wednesday, July 19, 2023, that she has been charged with an anti-doping rules violation by the Athletics Integrity Unit, AIU, after missing three drug tests within 12 months.
Despite the charges, Amusan remains committed to resolving the issue before the forthcoming competition in Budapest next month.
The 26-year-old Nigerian athlete shared the news on her Instagram account in the early hours of Wednesday. “Today the Athletics Integrity Unit, AIU, has charged me with an alleged rule violation for having 3 missed tests in 12 months,” Amusan wrote.
The AIU is responsible for monitoring doping issues in international track events. According to their guidelines, an athlete who misses three tests within a 12-month period is considered to have violated anti-doping rules.
Such violations can result in a two-year suspension, which may be reduced to a minimum of one year depending on the degree of fault.
Despite the charges, Amusan, known for her clean performance, pledges to contest the accusation.
“I am a CLEAN athlete, and I am regularly (maybe more than usual) tested by the AIU,” she added. “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.”
Amusan soared to stardom at last year’s World Athletics Championships in Oregon, where she not only set a world record but also astounded spectators by finishing the 100-meter hurdles in 12.12 seconds during the semi-finals.
A strong tailwind disqualified her gold medal-winning time of 12.06 seconds from being recorded as a world record.
Amusan’s recollection of that moment remains vivid: “When I watched the record, I was like ‘Whoa, who did that?’” The resolve and strength that saw her through those races will likely be needed as she prepares to face her current challenge.
