Nigeria’s 100m hurdles world record holder, Tobi Amusan, has been cleared to compete in the Paris Olympics after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) dismissed appeals against her exoneration from a doping offence. The decision was announced on Friday, putting to rest months of uncertainty surrounding the athlete’s eligibility.
Amusan, 27, faced charges in July 2023 for missing three anti-doping tests within a 12-month period. However, she was initially cleared by the Disciplinary Tribunal of World Athletics, the sport’s governing body. World Athletics and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) subsequently appealed this decision to CAS.
In its statement, CAS clarified that its panel “unanimously acknowledged that the athlete committed two filing failures but did not confirm the existence of a missed test, alleged by WA and WADA, which would have been the third Whereabouts Failure committed within 12 months.” This decision means Amusan did not meet the criteria for a doping violation that would have barred her from competition.
Amusan made headlines in July 2022 when she set the world record of 12.12 seconds at the World Championships in Eugene, Oregon, where she also won the title. Despite finishing sixth in the world championships in Budapest last year, her performance remains a high point in her career.
According to World Athletics’ anti-doping rules, any athlete who fails to declare their whereabouts for a doping test on three occasions within 12 months is ineligible to compete for two years. With CAS’s ruling, Amusan’s eligibility is restored, allowing her to focus on her preparation for the Paris Olympics.
