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.
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.
