World-record hurdler Tobi Amusan had her temporary suspension lifted Thursday after an appeals panel found she had not violated antidoping rules that call for a suspension for missing tests. The decision came two days before the start of world championships, and about a month after the Nigerian hurdler went on social media and announced she had been charged for missing three tests in the span of 12 months.
Amusan’s event, the 100-meter hurdles, starts next Tuesday. World Athletics said Nigeria had entered Amusan in the race and if she was confirmed to compete by 9 a.m. Monday — normally only a formality she would be eligible to run. As part of her post, Amusan insisted she was clean and said she had faith the penalty would be overturned. Less than 48 hours before the start of the championships, the Athletics Integrity Unit, which oversees doping issues in track, sent out an announcement that an appeals tribunal had overturned the decision.
In its release, the AIU said it was “disappointed by this decision and will review the reasoning in detail before deciding whether to exercise its right of appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.” Missing three doping tests can result in a two-year ban, though exceptions can be made for different circumstances. The full details of the decision have not been released. When she announced she had been charged, Amusan said, “I was tested within days of my third ‘missed test.’”Amusan set the record at worlds last year when she ran 12.12 seconds in the semifinals. She returned to the track later the same evening and won gold in 12.06, but that time did not go into the record books because there was too strong a tailwind.