By Chris Chavez
July 19, 2023
100m hurdles world record holder and reigning world champion Tobi Amusan posted on Instagram that she has been charged with a whereabouts failures violation for missing three drug tests in 12 months. She plans to appeal the charge. – The Athletics Integrity Unit officially listed Amusan on its website among its provisional suspensions on Wednesday morning.
What you need to know:
– Amusan posted the following message on Instagram: “(July 19, 2023) 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 AIU – 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.”
– Icon Management Inc., the agency that represents Amusan, also posted the same message on their Instagram page.
– Amusan has never failed a drug test. The AIU announced a "whereabouts failures" charge and said her case would be heard by the disciplinary tribunal of three arbitrators. The three missed tests could result in up to a two-year suspension.
– Amusan had just competed at the Gyulai István Memorial meet in Hungary on Tuesday evening. She won the women’s 100m hurdles in 12.35s, which was her second-best performance of the year. Amusan also won Sunday’s 100m hurdles race in a season’s best of 12.34s at the Silesia Diamond League.
– The 26-year-old got off to a slow start to her season in April and May but has now won all four 100m hurdles finals that she contested in July. Only Puerto Rico's Jasmine Camacho-Quinn, the 2021 Olympic champion, has run faster (12.31) on the year.
– Last year, Amusan broke the 100m hurdles world record with a 12.12 (+0.9m/s wind) in the world championship semifinals. She ran a wind-aided 12.06 (+2.5m/s wind) to win gold in the final. She took eight hundredths off Keni Harrison’s 12.20 world record from 2016.
– Amusan was fourth at the Tokyo Olympics.
What happens next:
– Amusan is hoping to try and clear her name before the first round of the 100m hurdles starts on Aug. 22.
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Chris Chavez
Chris Chavez launched CITIUS MAG in 2016 as a passion project while working full-time for Sports Illustrated. He covered the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and grew his humble blog into a multi-pronged media company. He completed all six World Marathon Majors and is an aspiring sub-five-minute miler.