World-record holder Tobi Amusan cleared to defend her world title

BUDAPEST, Hungary – World-record holder Tobi Amusan has been declared eligible to participate in the upcoming world championships. The decision, announced on Thursday, comes after an appeals panel determined that Amusan had not breached the antidoping regulations, specifically the rules pertaining to missed tests.

The announcement was made just two days ahead of the world championships. This follows a period of uncertainty for Amusan, who had taken to social media about a month ago, revealing that she had been accused of missing three tests within a year.

• Read more: World record holder Tobi Amusan faces anti-doping charge
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• Read more: Watch Tobi Amusan run super-fast 12.06 secs for 100m hurdles

The 100-meter hurdles, Amusan’s event, is scheduled to commence on Tuesday. World Athletics confirmed that Nigeria had registered Amusan for the race, and her participation would be confirmed by Monday morning.

In her earlier social media post, Amusan had vehemently denied any wrongdoing, expressing confidence that the charges against her would be revoked.

“I was tested within days of my third ‘missed test,’” she recalled.

This belief became a reality when, less than 48 hours before the championships’ commencement, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) announced that the appeals tribunal had reversed the initial decision.

However, the AIU expressed its disappointment with the outcome and is considering an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Amusan had previously made headlines at the World Athletics Championships in Oregon last year, setting a record with a time of 12.12 seconds in the semifinals.

She later secured the gold with a time of 12.06 seconds, although this achievement was not recorded as another world record performance due to an excessively strong tailwind.

The World Athletics Championships will get underway on Saturday morning, 19 August and will run through 27 August.

The heats of the women 100m hurdles will take place on 22 August with the final set for 24 August. – Click here for the event’s schedule.