Athletics
YUSSUF ALLI EXPLAINS WHY ELITE RUNNERS ARE ALWAYS IN FRONT CELLS AT ACCESS BANK LAGOS CITY MARATHON
The General Manager of the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon Yussuf Alli has clarified why some runners are placed in the front cell in marathons and road races.
Alli said athletes’ pedigree and time in previous races determine where they are placed.
“Insinuation that Kenyans, Ethiopians and other foreign nationals are favoured at the detriment of Nigerians is completely untrue. The front cell, which is for elite men and women runners are normally reserved for athletes who have done below 2 hours, 45 minutes, 00seconds.
“These are the people that are likely to win, they are not just foreigners, and they also include Nigerians. At the 2016 and 2017 editions, we had over 100 elite athletes from Nigeria, and for the 2018 edition, we are likely to have over 200 elite athletes from Nigeria,’’ said Alli.
The General Manager said it is equally false that Nigerians cannot win the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon or any other marathon in any parts of the world.
“East African runners are not better than Nigerians, the only difference is that they train harder and work harder. Running for them is business and they sacrifice everything to be the best in the world. Our people must also imbibe this culture.”
Alli posited that the reason why we are not doing well today is because we are not investing in our talents, “the time that won the men race in the 2016 and 2017 editions of the Access Bank Lagos City
“Marathon was about two hours, 15 minutes. About 30 years ago, a Nigerian
Marathoner, Abass Muhammad was running that time. We also have other great runners who were running world class times but our refusal to invest in our talented athletes is responsible for the current decline.
“European, Americans, Japanese and even the Chinese have proved that the East African runners are beatable as they have beaten them in many of the world elite marathons,’’ Alli concluded.
Athletics
Behold, CAS statement on Tobi Amusan
![](https://www.sportsvillagesquare.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/amusan-2.jpg)
Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan is the winner as the Court of Arbitration for Sports, CAS has rejected the appeals filed by World Athletics and WADA.
The decision confirms the decision taken by the World Athletics disciplinary tribunal finding that Tobi Amusan did not commit any anti-doping rule violation.
![](https://i0.wp.com/www.sportsvillagesquare.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/CAS_Media_Release_9992_10067__final_-1.jpg?resize=640%2C1024&ssl=1)
Here is the full statement of CAS.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has dismissed the appeals filed by
World Athletics (WA) and by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) against the decision issued on 17 August 2023 (the Challenged Decision) by the World Athletics Disciplinary Tribunal (WADT) in relation to the hurdler Oluwatobiloba (Tobi) Amusan (Nigeria).
Accordingly, the Challenged Decision in which the WADT considered that Tobi Amusan did not violate Rule 2.4 of the WA Anti-Doping Rules (WA ADR) and that no period of ineligibility should be imposed on the Athlete is confirmed.
The Athlete was initially charged with committing an Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV) under Rule 2.4 WA ADR following three alleged Whereabouts Failures within a 12-month period.
In their respective appeal to CAS, WA and WADA had sought the imposition of a two-year period of ineligibility. The CAS Panel held a hearing on 19 January 2024. Having deliberated, the CAS Panel has issued its decision today dismissing both appeals. The CAS Panel unanimously acknowledged that the Athlete committed two filing failures but did not confirm the existence of a missed test, alleged by WA and WADA, which would have been the third Whereabouts Failure committed within a 12-month
period. Accordingly, the CAS Panel concluded that the Athlete did not commit an ADRV and that the Challenged Decision should be confirmed.
The reasoned award will be published by CAS unless the parties request confidentiality.
Athletics
Tobi Amusan floors WADA and World Athletics!
![Tobi Amusan’s Trial Begins Today -](https://www.sportsvillagesquare.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Tobi-Amusans-Trial-Begins-Today.jpg)
Nigeria’s Paris 2024 medal hopeful, Tobi Amusan has been cleared as the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) has dismissed the appeal filed by World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the World Athletics.
She is therefore cleared to feature at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Amusan is the 100m hurdles world record holder.
The athlete was charged in July last year with missing three anti-doping tests in 12 months but was cleared of the offence by the Disciplinary Tribunal of the sport’s governing body, World Athletics.
The Integrity Unit of the World Athletics appealed the clearance which has now been dismissed by CAS, the final arbiter in the case.
CAS in its statement remarked that its panel “unanimously acknowledged that the athlete committed two filing failures but did not confirm the existence of a missed test, alleged by WA and WADA, which would have been the third Whereabouts Failure committed within 12 months.”
Amusan set the world record of 12.12 seconds in the world championships in Eugene, Oregon, in July 2022 and went on to win the title.
She finished sixth in the world championships in Budapest last year.
World Athletics’ anti-doping rules say any athlete failing to declare their whereabouts for a doping test on three occasions over 12 months is ineligible to compete for two years.
Athletics
Tobi Amusan thanks God for success at CAS in doping case
![](https://www.sportsvillagesquare.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/amusan-2.jpg)
An elated Nigeria’s 100m hurdles world record holder, Tobi Amusan has thanked God for her success in an appeal filled against her by the Athletics Integrity Unit of the World Athletics.
Had the appeal been upheld, ,Amusan would have has to miss the Paris 2024 Olymoics.
“It’s ALL GOD” Amusan said in an Instagram post alongside the court’s announcement.
Amusan, who broke the world record during her semi-final race at the 2022 world championships, is a hot favourite in her signature event at the Paris Olympics, which begin on July 26.
World Athletics and WADA did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment.
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