World record holder in the 100m hurdles Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan has reacted to the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) charge for missing three doping tests, Completesports.com reports.
Amusan confirmed the charge in a post on her Instagram account.
According to Amusan she was charged with three missed drug tests in a 12-month span, which can lead up to a two-year suspension even if an athlete never fails a drug test.
However, the 26-year-old expressed her intention to fight the charge by the AIU stating she is a clean athlete.
“Today the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) has charged me with an alleged rule violation for having 3 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 I am regularly; (maybe more than the usual) tested by the AlU -I was tested within days of my third “missed test.” I have FAITH that this will be resolved in my favor and that I will be competing at the World Championships in August.
“In the meantime, I ask that the media respect my privacy while I address these allegations in my upcoming arbitration.”
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Under World Athletics Anti-Doping Rules, the applicable sanction for three ‘whereabouts’ failures is two years’ ineligibility, subject to a reduction to a minimum of one year depending on an athlete’s degree of fault.
Athletics has a three-strikes rule that states if an athlete does not provide accurate whereabouts information for a doping test they may incur a declaration of a missed test, or a filing failure. Three strikes in a 12-month period is an anti-doping violation.
Amusan won the Silesia Diamond League meet on Sunday, her second Diamond League victory this season.
She became the first Nigerian world champion and world record holder in an athletics event with her 2022 victory in Eugene, Ore., where she set the world record of 12.12 seconds.
Amusan was part of Nigeria’s 4×100 relay squad that won gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games but were then stripped of their medal after anchor runner Grace Nwokocha failed a doping test.
The World Athletics Championships run from August 19-27 in Budapest.
By James Agberebi
7 Comments
But why…?
Rules are rules and have to be abided by.
You could have saved yourself all these hassle by just turning up for the tests
Obedience they say is better than sacrifice.
But @ Drey, if they investigate and find out that she had been unusually tested more than its supposed within a certain space of time, then it be some discrimination and I think that should be the main focus as it will loads of questions. But like you said, it would have been better to obey first and file a complaint later on, as that would have put her on the offensive rather than be on the defensive as it is now.
Meant… then it will open up loads of…. Typing fast/between working hence error
Glory, there is a reason why despite all safety precautions, they still write “no smoking” on the walls of a fuel depot.
As a serial records breaker, all eyes will be on you, you will be tested almost every day of your life….there is nothing discriminatory about that. It doesn’t give you the right to chose to now miss tests which are statutory or mandatory according to the AIU. You are only bathing yourself in petrol by doing that, because the smallest of sparks will set you on fire.
Its like claiming because you have done 14 assignments the whole semester, hence you dont need to turn up for exams. If the laws have not equated those 14 assignments to be equal to an exam and you dont turn up for exams, you have practically failed yourself.
Usain Bolt was of far higher status in world athletics than Tobi, I never heard him missing 3 mandatory in season tests the whole time. Tobi isnt the first black athlete to be successful on the global stage and wouldnt be the last, so where is the so called discrimination…??
Our people say 1 time na accidental, 2 time na coincidence, 3 times na intentional.
If the law is as simple as you not missing 3 particular tests, why should you take it into your hands. Nobody has accused her of doping yet….she has only be accused of missing tests. That is what she should answer, not the I AM CLEAN defence she is putting out.
Obidience to the law is always cheaper, better, less stressful and easier to implement than trying to acquit yourself in a court.
It was this same missing of tests that kick started Okagbare’s eventual downfall.
A word the say is enough for the wise.
@Dr Drey, if actually it’s a common practice to constantly do such random testing for all athletes that have attained such heights, then I would agree 100%that she’s made a grave mistake by refusing to make herself available but if that isn’t the case then questions will definitely need to be answered. Thats just my position.
Here we go BS from the crackpot crackerjacks… as soon as one of us especially from an unpopular “spot” in the planet starts to do great things, the devils come out in droves…I bind you agents of darkness IJMN!
Leave Tobi alone you devils!
You can imagine that what she says MUST be true – being highly unfancied as she must be among all the Americans and Europeans etc, I am sure that she will be subject to more tests anyway and more so as she is ripping it all up!
Leave our world champion alone you agents of darkness and deception!
Tobi we are with you – regardless of what happens, we are sure that you are indeed a CLEAN athlete and we only have to wait, in due course all will be resolved and you continue to sit on your throne as the BEST IN THE WORLD! Carry gooo Oluwatobiloba Amusan – We love you!
Let’s learn to be patriotic.
I hail all the patriots on this one.