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Tobi Amusan charged with missing drug tests, risks suspension

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10 months ago

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Women’s hurdles world record-holder, Tobi Amusan might likely be banned after being charged with an alleged anti-doping rule violation.

Amusan revealed this herself in a post on her Instagram page early Wednesday, July 19, 2023, saying the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) has charged her with an alleged violation of missing three tests within 12 months; an allegation she has vowed to challenge.

“Today the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) has charged me with an alleged rule violation for having 3 missed tests in 12 months,” she said in a post on Instagram.

The Nigerian athlete set the current world record for the women’s 100m hurdles of 12.12 seconds at last year’s World Athletics Championships.

Amusan, 26, vowed to resolve the charges against her before this year’s competition, set to be held next month in Budapest.

“I intend to fight this charge and will have my case decided by a tribunal of 3 arbitrators before the start of next month’s World Championships,” she said.

“I am a CLEAN ATHLETE, and I am regularly; (maybe more than the usual) tested by the AIU – I was tested within days of my third ‘missed test.’ I have FAITH that this will be resolved in my favour and that I will be competing at the World Championships in August.”

On Sunday, Amusan took part in the Silesia Diamond League competition in Poland, where she set a new meeting record of 12.34sec.

At the Golden Spike athletics meet in the Czech Republic last month, she finished in third place in the women’s 100m hurdles, losing to reigning Olympic champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn of Puerto Rico, who claimed victory in 12.42sec.

When asked by reporters about improving her world record pace, she said: “Nothing is impossible and 11 seconds? Most definitely”.

But she was less confident about an ongoing debate on raising hurdles to give priority to technique over speed.

“Don’t do that, don’t raise the hurdles. Please,” said Amusan, who is 5’1 (156 centimetres) tall.

The AIU was founded by the International Association of Athletics Federations (now World Athletics) in April 2017 to combat doping in the sport of athletics. The unit functions fully independently from the World Athletics governing body.

Based on this, the AIU is responsible for creating the right frameworks for every athlete to succeed and compete cleanly.

Amusan has allegedly been charged with whereabout failure (missing tests), and according to the AIU rule book, this is what it means for an athlete:

1. You have failed to submit your whereabouts by the required deadline (Filing Failure).

2. You have failed to update your whereabouts or you have not updated them as soon as possible after a change of circumstances (Filing Failure).

3. You have filed your whereabouts on time, but they are incomplete or inaccurate or insufficient to enable us to locate you for testing (training address missing, home address too vague, competition schedule missing or incomplete, no address of temporary accommodation during competition…) (Filing Failure).

4. The Athletics Integrity Unit finds out that your whereabouts are inaccurate or incomplete following an unsuccessful attempt to test you (e.g. an athlete lives in a gated complex and fails to give instructions to the security gate to let the doping control officer in) (Filing Failure).

5. You have filed whereabouts information, but you are not available for testing at the location corresponding to your 60-minute time slot (Missed Test).

And the consequences for any of these actions under the World Athletics Anti-Doping Rules state that, any combination of 3 whereabouts failures (Filing Failure and/or Missed Test) within a period of 12 months constitutes an anti-doping rule violation, for which the applicable sanction is 2 years’ ineligibility subject to a reduction to a minimum of 1 year depending on the degree of fault.

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NFF unveils Finidi as Eagles coach, announces technical crew

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2 days ago

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May 13, 2024 4:50 pm

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The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has unveiled Finidi George as the new head coach of the Super Eagles.

The federation presented the newly appointed manager to the public on Monday at the media centre of the Moshood Abiola Stadium, Abuja

In April, Finidi was appointed as the permanent replacement for Jose Peseiro, who the former Nigerian international worked with as an assistant coach for 20 months.

At the unveiling ceremony, the 53-year-old’s technical crew members were also announced.

Daniel Amokachi, former Super Eagles player, will be the assistant coach. Olatunji Baruwa is named the goalkeeper trainer, Chima Onyeka slots in as fitness trainer and Benjamin James will also be a backroom staff member.

Dignitaries present at the unveiling include John Enoh, minister of sports development; Ibrahim Gusau, president of NFF; and Augustine Eguavoen, technical director of NFF.

Finidi was the Eagles’ interim head coach for two international friendlies against Ghana and Mali in March.

He led the Eagles to a 2-1 victory over Ghana in his first game at the helm but lost 2-0 to Mali in the second game.

Finidi’s immediate task with the Super Eagles will be the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches against South Africa and Benin Republic in June.

The Eagles drew their first two games of the campaign to Lesotho and Zimbabwe, lagging behind in third place in Group C.

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Osimhen’s Champions League dream dies as Juventus and Bologna seal European qualification ahead of Napoli

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2 days ago

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May 13, 2024 8:46 am

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Napoli’s hopes of European glory have been dealt a severe blow as Juventus and Bologna secure coveted spots in the 2024-25 UEFA Champions League.

Italian giants Juventus and surprise package Bologna officially booked their places in the 2024-25 UEFA Champions League following Atalanta’s crucial victory over Roma, leaving Napoli behind in the race for European football.

Despite Italy securing five UCL participants, last season’s champions Napoli will not be one of them. The Partenopei have put up a disastrous title defence and are in eighth place with only 51 points.

Napoli are nine points away from Roma in sixth place with only two matches left and are mathematically unable to reach the UCL places even if the Serie A gets six representatives in the revamped UCL formats.

Despite Nigerian striker, Victor Osimhen’s contribution of 15 goals and four assists in 22 appearances, Napoli’s disappointing campaign is under threat of ending with no promise of European football next season even if Serie A gets the maximum number of slots for the Champions League, Europa League, and Europa Conference League.

For Juventus, the upcoming Champions League campaign marks a return to Europe’s premier club competition after a one-year absence after being suspended from continental football in the 2023/24 season following their breach of financial fair play regulations, but they have bounced back this season to secure a coveted spot in the revamped Champions League format.

Meanwhile, Bologna’s sealed their first-ever appearance in the main stages of the Champions League after last playing in the qualifying stages for the European Cup in 1964.

Their remarkable achievement caps off a remarkable season under the leadership of former Barcelona and Inter midfielder Thiago Motta

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Amusan sets world leading record in 100m hurdles

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2 days ago

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May 13, 2024 8:24 am

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Tobi Amusan ran a world-leading 12.40 seconds (0.9m/s) to win the 100m hurdles at Saturday’s inaugural Jamaica Athletics Invitational in Kingston.

The world record holder claimed the win ahead of Danielle Williams, the world champion who ran a season’s best 12.46 seconds, and American Christina Clemons who was third with 12.54 seconds.

The Nigerian has now taken over the world lead from American Tonea Marshall who had run 12.42 seconds in late April.

Amusan’s latest win comes two months before the Paris 2024 Olympics.

John Enoh, the minister of sports development, took to X to congratulate the pace-setter over the feat.

“Tobi, you keep making our country proud. Paris Olympics is around the corner, your performance gives us hope just like others, that Nigeria is set to break a jinx. Keep soaring, we are proud of you,” the minister’s post reads in part.

The 26-year-old recently set a new African record of 7.77s in the 60m hurdles event at the Astana Indoor Meet in Kazakhstan, breaking the 25-year-old record held by Gloria Alozie.

She is expected to spearhead the Nigerian contingent’s hopes for gold medals at the Olympics set to commence on July 26 at France’s national stadium.

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Bodex F. Hungbo, SPMIIM is a multiple award-winning Nigerian Digital Media Practitioner, Digital Strategist, PR consultant, Brand and Event Expert, Tv Presenter, Tier-A Blogger/Influencer, and a top cobbler in Nigeria.

She has widespread experiences across different professions and skills, which includes experiences in; Marketing, Media, Broadcasting, Brand and Event Management, Administration and Management with prior stints at MTN, NAPIMS-NNPC, GLOBAL FLEET OIL AND GAS, LTV, Silverbird and a host of others

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