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Tag: AIU

  • AIU drags Amusan to Court of Arbitration for Sports

    AIU drags Amusan to Court of Arbitration for Sports

    The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) has appealed the decision that vindicated Nigerian hurdler, Tobi Amusan from a violation for missing drug tests.

    The anti-doping regulators said it iled an appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport last week.

    After Amusan failed three whereabouts control tests within a 12-month period, the AIU earlier in July charged her with breaking the anti-doping regulations and placed her on a provisional ban from all athletic events.

    It provisionally suspended Amusan for missing three tests in a year.

    An appeal panel later overturned the suspension, which allowed the Nigerian to compete earlier this summer at the world championships, where she finished sixth.

    If found guilty, the 26-year-old might be suspended for a year or more.

    The body made this known on Monday via their official X account (formerly Twitter).

    “The AIU filed an appeal last Friday (15 September 2023) with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against the Disciplinary Tribunal’s decision, dated 17 August 2023, that Tobi Amusan did not commit an anti-doping rule violation for Whereabouts Failures.

    “The AIU will make no further comment on the matter until the conclusion of the appeal.”

    This latest move by the AIU poses another hurdle for the World Record hurdler as CAS would either overturn the Disciplinary Tribunal’s decision and impose a sanction on her or affirm the innocence of the star Nigerian athlete, popularly called Tobi Express.

    In the build-up to the World Championship held in Budapest, Amusan, who then was the defending champion and world record holder in the 100m hurdles, was facing a possible four-year ban after being adjudged to have wrongfully missed three out-of-competition drug tests in 12 months.

    Recall that Amusan won Eugene Diamond League last week.

    Amusan started off strong and maintained her lead, clearing the final hurdle and finishing with an impressive season best time of 12.33secs. Camacho-Quinn from Puerto Rico gave a strong chase, coming in second in 12.38secs, while USA’s Harrison took third place in a time of 12.44secs.
    The world champion, Jamaica’s Williams, finished fourth in 12.47secs.

     

  • Whereabouts failures: AIU to drag Tobi Amusan to Court of Arbitration for Sport

    Whereabouts failures: AIU to drag Tobi Amusan to Court of Arbitration for Sport

    The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), has expressed dissatisfaction by the clearance of Tobi Amusan by the Disciplinary Tribunal’s decision.

    Recall that Amusan had approached the Disciplinary Tribunal to contest her suspension by AIU concerning her whereabouts failures charge.

    Although, AIU lifted Amusan’s suspension the body is not satisfied with the outcome and will now appeal the case.

    The body, in a release on its official website, threatened to challenge the judgement of the Tribunal, which
    cleared Amusan of Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV) of three whereabouts failures levelled against her, at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

    “A panel of the Disciplinary Tribunal, by majority decision, has today found that Tobi Amusan has not committed an Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV) of three Whereabouts Failures within a 12-month period. AIU Head Brett Clothier has indicated the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) is 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 (CAS) within the applicable deadline. The decision is currently confidential but will be published in due course. Amusan’s provisional suspension has now been lifted with immediate effect,” the statement read.

  • Tobi Amusan reacts after doping tests saga

    Tobi Amusan reacts after doping tests saga

    Tobi Amusan, Nigeria’s biggest athletics icon of the moment, will now be able to compete at the 2023 World Athletics Championships which begins this weekend in Budapest, Hungary.

    This is because the 100 metres hurdles world record-holder has had her suspension lifted by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU).

    The 26-year-old can now defend her world title after a disciplinary tribunal hearing found her not to have broken anti-doping rules over missed tests.
    She had been accused of missing three doping tests.

    The double Commonwealth Games gold medallist had consistently denied taking performance-enhancing substances.

    In a statement on Thursday, the AIU said: “A panel of the disciplinary tribunal, by majority decision, has today found that Tobi Amusan has not committed an Anti-Doping Rule Violation of three whereabouts failures within a 12-month period.

    “AIU head Brett Clothier has indicated the AIU is 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 (CAS).”

    Writing later on Instagram, Amusan said: “I’m thrilled to put this behind me and look forward to defending my title at the World Championships.”

    Amusan set the women’s 100m hurdles world record at the World Championships in Eugene, Oregon in July 2022 after crossing the line in 12.12 seconds.

    World Athletics’ anti-doping rules state that any athlete failing to declare their whereabouts for a doping test on three occasions should be suspended.

    This infraction must however have been committed over a 12-month period, and the athlete will be ineligible to compete for two years.

    This is however subject to a reduction to a minimum of one year depending on the degree of fault.

  • World Championship: Amusan to compete for Nigeria if cleared – World Athletics

    World Championship: Amusan to compete for Nigeria if cleared – World Athletics

    Tobi Amusan, the reigning World 100m hurdles champion will get the chance to defend her title in Budapest, Hungary if she is cleared of her whereabouts failures, World Athletics has declared.
    The world governing body for the sport has included the 26 year old in the list of athletes that will compete for Nigeria but her participation is dependent on if she scales the anti-doping rule violation charge against her by the Athletics Integrity Unit, AIU.
    Amusan was provisionally suspended by the AIU for three whereabouts failures last month and the Nigerian has decided to contest the charge.
    The AIU said decision on Amusan’s appeal will be made before the start of the World Championships and the petite sprint hurdler will be offered the chance to compete if she is cleared.
    Although entries for the championships have since closed on Tuesday but Amusan has been given an opportunity to defend her title if she is cleared.
    The World Championship remains the only competition Amusan has not had the opportunity to defend after she successfully defended her Nigeria, African Championships, African Games, Commonwealth Games and Diamond League titles.
    Also confirmed is Imaobong Nse Uko who will be making her debut in the championship and she will run in the women’s 400m event.
    Others confirmed are Rosemary Chukwuma (100m), Favour Ofili (200m), Seye Ogunlewe, Ushoritse Itshekiri and Favour Ashe (100m), Alaba Akintola (200m) and Ezekiel Nathaniel (400m hurdles).
    The duo of Ruth Usoro and Ese Brume will compete in the women’s long jump while the trio of Chioma Onyekwere, Pamela Obiageri Amaechi and Ashley Anumba will compete in the Discus event, while Oyesade Olatoye will compete in the hammer throw event.
    The championships will run from August 19 to 27 and Nigeria’s contingent to Budapest will be seeking to add to the one gold, five silver and five bronze medals won by their predecessors from 1983.
  • World Championship: Tobi Amusan conspicuously missing on AFN list

    World Championship: Tobi Amusan conspicuously missing on AFN list

    The suspended World 100m hurdles record holder, Tobi Amusan, has been left out of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria’s (AFN) list of athletes that will fly Nigeria’s flag at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

    Tobi Amusan’s name is conspicuously missing from the list of Nigerian athletes that will represent Nigeria at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

    The suspended World 100m hurdles record holder was left out by the Athletics Federation of Nigeria’s (AFN) after having not cleared herself with Athletic integrity Unit (AIU).

    The athletics body on Tuesday unveiled 22 athletes for the competition that will run from August 19 to 27 with Amusan conspicuously missing even as all the athletes that made their mark and meet up with the required time during the AFN’s trial at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City, Edo State, were listed for the Budapest championships.

    Recall that the AIU had handed Amusan a provisional suspension for allegedly missing drug tests.

    AIU announced the sanction in a statement on its Twitter handle last month, saying the Nigerian superstar was suspended for three whereabouts failures.

    However, the likes of Ese Brume, George Patience Okon, Success Umukoro, Favour Ofili, Rosemary Chukwuma and Ruth Usoro all made the list.

    Others are Deborah Oke, Imaobong Uko, Nse Uko and Pamela Amaechi.

    Nigerian male athletes on the list are  Itshekiri Usheoritshe, Ashe Favour, Seye Ogunlewe, Alaba Akintola, Fakorede Adekalu, Karlington Anunagba, and Enekwechi Chukwuebuka (Shot Put) were also listed for the competition.

     

     

  • Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan charged with anti-doping violation, she reacts

    Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan charged with anti-doping violation, she reacts

    World record-holder in women’s hurdles, Tobi Amusan, has been charged with an alleged anti-doping rule violation.

    The anti-doping violations levelled against her by Athletics Integrity Unit  (AIU) has cast doubt on her participation in the upcoming world championships.

    The AIU officially brought forward the charges against the Nigerian athlete, accusing her of three missed tests within a 12-month period.

    However, Amusan has addressed the situation on Instagram, where she vowed to contest the charges and have her case decided by a tribunal of three arbitrators before the commencement of next month’s World Championships 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,” Amusan declared on her social media platform.

    View this post on Instagram

    A post shared by Oluwatobiloba Amusan, OON OLY (@ihurdle_33.0inches)

    Amusan, who set the women’s 100m hurdles world record with an impressive time of 12.12 seconds during last year’s World Athletics Championships, expressed confidence in resolving the matter and maintaining her clean athlete status. She emphasised that she undergoes regular testing by the AIU, and she was promptly tested after the alleged third missed test.

    “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,” she asserted on Instagram, demonstrating her belief in a positive outcome.

    The representatives of the athletes  have not responded to media requests for comments on the matter.

    Recall that Amusan recently participated in the Silesia Diamond League competition in Poland, where she powered home to victory in 12.34 secs.

     

  • Nigerian sprinter, Oduduru suspended for doping

    Nigerian sprinter, Oduduru suspended for doping

    Nigerian sprinter, Divine Oduduru has been suspended for doping and risks being banned for six years by World Athletics.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the Athletics Integrity Unit (AlU) disclosed this in a statement on Thursday.

    According to AIU, Oduduru has been notified of the suspension.

    The statement reads: “The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) has notified Divine Oduduru of two potential Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRVS) and is seeking a six-year ban against the Nigerian.

    “The sprinter has been notified of potential ADRVs for possession (Rule 2.6 of the World Athletics Anti-Doping Rules; ADR) and/or use or attempted use of multiple Prohibited Substances (Rule 2.2 ADR). He has been provisionally suspended immediately.

    “These alleged violations stem from an AIU investigation based on information in a criminal charge brought against US-based “naturopathic” therapist Eric Lira, on 12 January, 2022, by the United States Department of Justice under the Rodchenkov Act.

    “Lira is alleged to have supplied performance- enhancing drugs to athletes before the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games (delayed until summer 2021 because of the Covid-19 pandemic).

    “The complaint against Lira provides specific information regarding persons identified as ‘Athlete 1’ and ‘Athlete 2’.

    “In February 2022, a sole arbitrator of the AIU Disciplinary Tribunal concluded that they were “comfortably satisfied” that ‘Athlete 1’ was Oduduru’s team-mate, Blessing Okagbare, and banned her from the sport for ten years, which was increased to an 11-year ban in June 2022 following further charges brought by the AIU.

    “Based on the information in the complaint, including text conversations imaged from Okagbare’s mobile phone by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and further evidence obtained from the AIU investigation, the AIU alleges that Oduduru is ‘Athlete 2’ identified in the complaint.

    “As the process is ongoing, the AIU will make no further comment on the matter at this time”.

  • AIU suspends Nigerian sprinter Oduduru for doping, faces possible six-year ban

    AIU suspends Nigerian sprinter Oduduru for doping, faces possible six-year ban

    Nigerian sprinter, Ejowvokoghene Divine Oduduru, has been suspended by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) for Anti-Doping Violations and faces a possible six-year ban.

    AIU stated this in a press statement released on Thursday, February 9, 2023, noting that the sprinter has been notified of the suspension.

    “The Athletics Integrity Unit has notified Divine Oduduru of two potential Anti-Doping Rule Violations and is seeking a six-year ban against the Nigerian, ” AIU said on its official website.

    “The sprinter has been notified of potential ADRVs for possession (Rule 2.6 of the World Athletics Anti-Doping Rules; ADR) and/or use or attempted use of multiple Prohibited Substances (Rule 2.2 ADR). He has been provisionally suspended immediately.”

    AIU had in 2022 provisionally suspended Nigerian female sprinter, Grace Nwokocha, over suspected doping.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports that the Nigerian sprinter specializes in the 100-meter and 200-meter dash.

    He holds personal bests of 9.86 seconds for the 100 m and 19.73 seconds for the 200 m.[10] The latter is a Nigerian national record.

    In age category competitions, he was a twice-champion at the African Youth Athletics Championships,[11] a five-time African Junior Champion in the sprints and the 200 m silver medallist at the 2014 World Junior Championships.

    AIU suspends Nigerian sprinter Oduduru for doping, faces possible six-year ban

    He represented Nigeria as a senior athlete at the 2014 Commonwealth Games and 2014 African Championships in Athletics, before winning a 200 m silver medal at the 2015 African Games.

    Oduduru is a two-time Nigerian national champion and is a four-time NCAA champion in American collegiate competition, running for the Texas Tech Red Raiders. He is sponsored by Puma.

    He led off the Nigerian 4×100 metres relay team at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, a team supported by former American athletes, Monzavous Edwards and Mark Jelks, who were running for Nigeria in their first international relay.

    Due to illness, he pulled out of the 2015 Nigerian Championships and could not defend his 200 m title. He, however, bounced back for the All-Africa Games in Brazzaville.

    Oduduru ran a PB of 20.45 s into a headwind of 1.2 m/s to win the silver medal behind Ivorian sprinter, Hua Wilfried Koffi.

    His team mate and 2015 Nigerian champion Tega Odele placed third. Oduduru was selected for the 200 m at the 2016 African Championships in Durban. After posting the second-fastest time in the semifinals, he did not run in the finals due to injury.

    At the 2018 Michael Johnson Invitational meet in Waco, Texas, Divine improved his personal best in the 100 m to 10.10 s, improving the Texas Tech school record by 0.01 s.

    A year later at the same meet he improved his personal bests and set world-leading times of 9.94 s and 19.76 s, in the 100 m and 200 m respectively.[7] His time in the 200 m broke the national record of 19.84 s set by Francis Obikwelu in 1999.

    AIU suspends Nigerian sprinter Oduduru for doping, faces possible six-year ban

    During 2019, he focused mainly on collegiate competition. He set a personal best in the 60-meter dash at the 2019 Big 12 Indoor Championships, running 6.52 seconds for the distance to win the regional title. He also won the 200 m Big 12 Indoor title.

    At the 2019 NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships he won the 200 m title and placed seventh in the 60 m final. At the Big 12 Outdoor Championships, he won the 100 m in 9.99 seconds, having broken the 10-second barrier for the first time at the earlier Michael Johnson Invitational meet.

    He also helped the Texas Tech Red Raiders to the 4 × 100 m relay title. At the 2019 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships, he won a sprint double in the 100 m and 200 m, as well as taking third in the 4 × 100 m relay.

    His 100 m time of 9.86 seconds was the fastest in the world at that point of the season, and his 200 m time of 19.73 seconds was a championships record.

    Oduduru made his debut on the 2019 IAAF Diamond League circuit at the 2019 Herculis meet but finished in last place.

  • Okagbare’s Ban: WA disqualifies Nigeria relay team from World Championship

    Nigeria 4×100 relay team has been thrown out of the 2022 World Athletics championships following extended ban handed to Blessing Okagbare amid her doping controversies.

    The Athletics Integrity Unit, AIU of the Word Athletics, WA announced that banned Nigerian sprinter Blessing Okagbare has been found to have committed additional anti-doping rule violations – specifically evading sample collection, and tampering or attempted tampering with the doping control process.

    Following additional discovery  on Okagbare’s doping violations, the initial 10 years  ban slapped on her by AIU  has been reviewed and a year added to make it 11 years in total.

    As a result of that, Nigeria’s female 4×100 relay quartet has been thrown out of the World Athletics championship as a carryover punishment  of Okagbare’s doping violations.

    This is because six days after Okagbare evaded sample collection (13 June 2021), she competed in the 4x100m relay event at the Nigeria Olympic Trials, with her relay squad qualifying for this year’s World Championships.

    All individual and relay results involving Okagbare, from 13 June 2021, are now disqualified under the rules.

    Head of the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), Brett Clothier, is encouraging athletes and entourage to report suspected doping, noting the unscrupulous behaviour of dopers could have damning repercussions for their team-mates and country.

    His comments come in the wake of already-banned Nigerian sprinter Blessing Okagbare being found to have committed additional anti-doping rule violations.

    “Over the years, we have repeatedly seen how one person’s actions adversely affect team-mates who have trained hard and worked honestly for their results,” noted Clothier.

  • Blessing Okagbare celebrates father at 80

    Blessing Okagbare celebrates father at 80

    Nigerian track and field athlete, Blessing Okagbare, on Monday, hailed her father as he turned 80-year-old.

    Okagbare posted on her Twitter: “Happy 80th Birthday PA. They sure don’t make men like you anymore. You are a good man/ father and I love you dearly.

    “Thank you for being the good man and friend that you are. May the good Lord continue to keep you. Happy Birthday Papa.”

    Okagbare was raised by her father who was a wholesale trader in Benin City area of Edo State, after her parents separated when she was little.

    She also holds the Commonwealth Games 100 Women record for the fastest time in 10.85 seconds.

    Her 100 best record of 10.79 made her the record holder of African history for the event until Murielle Ahouré closed it in 2016.

    The 33-year-old is the current African record holder in the 200 meters with a speed of 22.04 seconds in 2018.

    She was Africa’s 100m long jump in 2010. She also won awards at the All Africa Games, IAAF Continental Cup and World Relays

    In February 2022, the Athletics Integrity Unit, AIU, handed her a 10-year ban for doping violations.