Tobi Amusan, the world-record holder and world champion in the women’s 100m hurdles, has expressed her dissatisfaction with some Nigerian sports journalists, whom she accused of being horrible in their profession. Amusan made this statement after she was cleared by the Disciplinary Tribunal to compete at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, which start today.
She had been provisionally suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) for missing three whereabouts tests within a 12-month period, a charge that could result in a two-year ban, even if an athlete has never failed a drug test. Amusan denied any wrongdoing and said she was a clean athlete who was regularly tested by the AIU. She also said she had faith that the issue would be resolved in her favour and that she would be able to defend her title in Budapest.
On Thursday, a panel of the Disciplinary Tribunal, by majority decision, found that Amusan had not committed an Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV) and lifted her provisional suspension with immediate effect. However, the AIU said it was disappointed by this decision and would review the reasoning in detail before deciding whether to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
Amusan, who set the world record of 12.12 seconds in the semifinals of the 100m hurdles at the World Athletics Championships in Oregon, United States, last year, said she was happy to be cleared and thanked God and her supporters for their prayers and encouragement. She also said she was ready to compete and represent Nigeria at the highest level.
However, Amusan also took a swipe at some Nigerian sports journalists, whom she said were horrible and did not do their homework before writing or reporting about her case. Amusan said some of them wrote false stories and did not verify their facts or contact her for clarification. She said some of them even celebrated her suspension and wished her bad luck. She said she was disappointed and hurt by their actions and urged them to be more professional and ethical in their work.
Amusan said she hoped that her case would serve as a lesson for other athletes to be more careful and diligent with their whereabouts information and to avoid any misunderstanding or miscommunication with the AIU. She also said she hoped that her case would inspire other Nigerian athletes to overcome any challenges or obstacles they may face in their careers.
Amusan is expected to travel to Budapest today and join the Nigerian team for the World Athletics Championships. Her event, the 100m hurdles, will start on Tuesday. She will face a strong field of competitors, including American Kendra Harrison, who won silver behind Amusan last year, Jamaican Megan Tapper, who won bronze, and British Tiffany Porter, who finished fourth. Amusan will aim to retain her title and break her own world record.
