CAS clears Amusan ahead of Paris Olympics

Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan received a significant boost a few weeks before the 2024 Paris Olympics as the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) dismissed appeals challenging the decision to clear her of a doping violation.

Amusan faced accusations of missing three doping tests within a year.

The AIU’s rules state that an athlete who misses three whereabouts tests within 12 months is guilty of an anti-doping rule violation, and the penalty for this is a two-year suspension.

However, the AIU has the discretion to reduce the suspension to one year, depending on the degree of fault.

The Appeal

After Amusan argued her case, a Disciplinary Tribunal panel cleared her just before the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest.

The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) appealed this decision to CAS which has now ruled that Amusan only missed two whereabouts tests and there is no evidence of a third.

While unable to defend her world title in Budapest (finishing sixth), Amusan bounced back by winning her third consecutive Diamond League Final victory in Eugene a few weeks after.

It was in the same Eugene that she shattered the 100m hurdles world record with a stunning 12.12 in the semifinals, followed by a wind-assisted 12.06 to win gold at the 2022 World Championships.

Despite competing during the appeal process, Amusan can now fully focus on the Olympics, where she aims for a podium finish.

Although illness prevented her a few days ago from defending her African title in Douala, Amusan anchored the gold-medal-winning Nigerian 4x100m women’s relay team.

Having narrowly missed out on a medal in the Tokyo Olympics (finishing fourth), Amusan sets her sights on Paris, determined to add Olympic gold to her impressive collection of achievements.

This CAS victory has vindicated Amusan who has consistently maintained that she is a clean athlete.

CAS Statement (FULL TEXT)

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has dismissed the appeals filed by World Athletics (WA) and by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) against the decision issued on 17 August 2023 (the Challenged Decision) by the World Athletics Disciplinary Tribunal (WADT) in relation to the hurdler Oluwatobiloba (Tobi) Amusan (Nigeria).

Accordingly, the Challenged Decision in which the WADT considered that Tobi Amusan did not violate Rule 2.4 of the WA Anti-Doping Rules (WA ADR) and that no period of ineligibility should be imposed on the Athlete is confirmed.

The Athlete was initially charged with committing an Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV) under Rule 2.4 WA ADR following three alleged Whereabouts Failures within a 12-month period.

In their respective appeal to CAS, WA and WADA had sought the imposition of a two-year period of ineligibility.

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The CAS Panel held a hearing on 19 January 2024. Having deliberated, the CAS Panel has issued its decision today dismissing both appeals.

The CAS 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 a 12-month period.

Accordingly, the CAS Panel concluded that the Athlete did not commit an ADRV and that the Challenged Decision should be confirmed.

The reasoned award will be published by CAS unless the parties request confidentiality.