The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), has announced that it has started the process of contesting the disciplinary panel’s judgment that cleared Nigerian athlete Tobi Amusan of doping.
Recall that Amusan was initially temporarily suspended by the AIU in July because she reportedly failed a doping test three times, but two days before the World Athletics Championships in Budapest in August, the Disciplinary Tribunal ruled in Amusan’s favor.
After that, she was unable to retain her world championship in Budapest, finishing 6th in the final, which was won by Danielle Williams of Jamaica.
However, Amusan triumphed in the Diamond League on Sunday, September 17, in Eugene after putting her World Championships woes behind her with a season-best time of 12.32 seconds.
While it seems she is gradually returning to her best, the AIU has dragged her before the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The AIU claimed in their statement that they have submitted an appeal before the court as they attempt to fault the decision of the Disciplinary Tribunal to clear the Nigerian track and field icon in August.
The statement from the regulatory body which was issued on Monday, September 18, read, “The AIU filed an appeal last Friday (September 15, 2023) with the Court of Arbitration for Sport against the Disciplinary Tribunal’s decision, dated 17 August 2023, that Tobi Amusan did not commit an anti-doping rule violation for Whereabouts Failures.
“The AIU will make no further comment on the matter until the conclusion of the appeal”.
If Tobi Amusan is found guilty, she is likely to be suspended for more than two years and also fined heavily.
