Doping, by far, ranks as the most serious crime in the world of sports. Several bodies work together to ensure that the competition remains fair and only the best person walks out with the medal. After Sha?Carri Richardson, the track and field authorities have set their sights on another athlete invoking suspicion. While the Eugene Diamond League marked the end of the 2023 season, the Athletics Integrity Unit is still at work.

Despite the enhancements in the chemical composition and traceability of performance-enhancing drugs, doping cases are usually very straightforward. The track and field world, however, is currently dealing with a very peculiar doping case. A Nigerian hurdler is currently on the crosshairs of regulating bodies, but not because of a positive test. Instead, she dodged the procedure of testing altogether.

Diamond League champion hurdler faces new hurdle

Tobi Amusan holds the world record for the fastest finish in 100m hurdles. The Nigerian hurdler sped through the 100m distance in just 12.12 seconds at 2022 Eugene WAC. Amusan recently re-entered the tracks of Eugene at the Diamond League finals and walked away with another Diamond Trophy. However, according to the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), Amusan shouldn?t even have competed at Eugene. In fact, the anti-doping body says that she shouldn?t have participated in Budapest either. The AIU had levied a provisional suspension of Amusan for purposely missing drug tests. She failed to appear for three drug tests throughout the year that invited the suspension.

The decision of the AIU, however, was overturned by an appeals panel that allowed Amusan to enter the Diamond League. Top athletes need to relay itineraries to authorities about where they?d be during different parts of the day. The authorities use this information to conduct a surprise no-notice drug test on athletes. Despite these rules in place, Amusan failed to give her whereabouts on three occasions.

While Amusan ended her season on a high note, the AIU has cut her celebration short. The anti-doping body has appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport to look into the decision that exonerated Amusan of her suspension. Amusan has denied the allegations leveled at her, and even her father dismissed the claims of the AIU.

Amusan?s stance on doping allegations

During the qualifying heats of the WAC, the media subjected Amusan to questions regarding the matter. Tobi Amusan dismissed them and said,??I’m here competing and that’s all that matters. Next.??Amusan also took to social media to call the allegations against her baseless and phony. The hurdler?s father, Kehinde, supported her and said,??She was cleared of any wrongdoing the last time and that will not change this time. She will come out clean from all the allegations leveled against her.??

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Kehinde also added,??We know the kind of daughter we have, we never suspected any wrongdoing from her as well, she?s a clean athlete.? On the other hand, AIU chairman David Howman said Amusan?s negligence necessitated an action on their part. Howman said that if this case is allowed to escape scrutiny, it will become a foothold for future violations. That would, in turn, create major difficulties for the AIU in upcoming cases.

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