Cole: Amusan charges do not hurt anti-doping process
Published:Wednesday | August 2, 2023 | 12:11 AMDaniel Wheeler/Staff Reporter
WITH A decision pending regarding the rule-violation charge levelled against world 100m hurdles champion and world record holder Tobi Amusan, World Athletics President Lord Sebastian Coe said that regardless of the outcome, the process does instil confidence in a robust anti-doping process.
Amusan announced on social media last month that the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) charged her with a rule violation for missing three drug tests in 12 months, charges she is appealing before the start of the World Athletics Championships in less than three weeks’ time.
Speaking on Monday during a pre-championship conference call, Coe said that regardless of what the outcome is on the case, the process does instil a level of confidence in the anti-doping movement rather than hindering it.
“The anti-doping processes that the AIU has undertaken, which I do need to remind people was at the centrepiece of my reform, was to put confidence back into the sport. Both (for) competitors, and (for) federations to know that the politics of these decisions was removed, that the testing was independent and, yes, whereabouts are nothing new. Whereabouts, whether in some way or another, were virtually with us,” Coe said.
Coe said that the decision for the reforms which were taken at the start of his tenure as president was to ensure anti-doping was taken seriously. The feedback, he says, has been good.
“What we are trying to do is not to instil a lack of confidence. I think a lack of confidence exists, and did exist when people were questioning whether we were serious about evolving our anti-doping process. I think people now recognise that it doesn’t matter whether you are a world record holder, there are processes, and the whereabouts are a very important part of that,” Coe said.
Amusan, in her statement on July 18, insisted that she has competed clean and that her case will be heard before the start of the championships.
Coe said that the timeline of the decision on her fate would be dependent on the AIU’s process, but notes that the AIU would take into consideration that the championships are less than 20 days away.
“That will be a matter for the Athletics Integrity Unit. They will map the process. Tobi knows she is in that process and will have the opportunity to appeal, and that is what we have. People should be feeling like in any other way, we have systems in place; people understand what those systems are,” Coe said.
“Whereabouts is something that the athletes have got used to, and the athletes that I speak to overwhelmingly believe that actually adds confidence to what we are trying to do, not remove from it. I’m sure there is an appeal process every athlete is eligible to. They will be conscious that we are within touching distance of a championship.”