Budapest: Amusan Nigeria’s medal hopeful if cleared, say stakeholders

Ahead of the 2023 World Athletics Championships, which begins on Saturday in Budapest, Hungary, athletics enthusiasts in Nigeria believe reigning world champion and women’s 100m hurdles record holder, Tobi Amusan, will be a big miss for the country if she’s not cleared to compete by the Athletics Integrity Unit, The PUNCH reports.

Amusan, who won the world title last year in Oregon, US, is among the entries for the event but her participation is pending a decision from the AIU, following her anti-doping suspension for missing three whereabouts tests.

The 26-year-old made a slow start to the season, but steadily hit form as the championship approached by winning back-to-back races in the Ostrava Golden Spike meet and the Diamond League.

She ran a season’s 12.34secs and despite being suspended, athletics buffs insist Amusan remains Nigeria’s brightest chance of winning a medal at the championships.

Senior athletics reporter at Pulse Sport, Funmi Fameso, said another gold medal for Nigeria in the hurdles would be a milestone if Amusan competes.

“Prior to the suspension, she was in top shape and running fast times, If she is able to compete, she would be able to get a medal, if not the gold, it could have been a milestone for Nigerian athletics to have two gold in the hurdles,” she said.

Country Manager, Making of Champions, Deji Ogeyinbo, said the country would miss her more, now that some other medal hopefuls were ruled out of the championships due to injuries.

“She’s one of our guaranteed medal hopefuls going into the World Championships; most likely will be Ese Brume and potentially Ruth Usoro. Some of our hopefuls in the sprints have pulled out like Godson Brume and Udodi Onwuzurike.”

"Every other person there has a small chance of getting a medal,” Ogeyinbo said.

With four days to the start of the championships, there is also a question over her readiness as the Athletics Federation of Nigeria has also indicated that she would compete if cleared.

“Tobi is a professional, she must have been in closed camp training with her coach, but mentally, that’s where the issue comes up. How does she prepare to face the challenge and the pressure? The fact that you have a whereabouts failure already casts a doubt on how you are running clean and that’s what she would have to defeat first,” Ogeyinbo said.