Athletics
THIS DAY IN HISTORY: FIRST TIME NIGERIA’S FLAG FLIES AT OLYMPICS
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
On this date, 19 July 1952, the XV Summer Olympic Games opened in Helsinki, Finland.
It was the first Olympic Games in which Nigeria featured as the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) was formed as Nigeria Olympic and British Empire Commonwealth Games Association (NOBECGA) in the previous year.
At the Helsinki Olympics, Nigeria featured nine athletes. They were: Edward Ajado, Titus Erinle, Muslim Arogundade, Rafiu Oluwa, Karim Olowu and Sylvanus Williams.
Others were: Josiah Majekodunmi, Nafiu Osagie and Boniface Guobadia. The best performance by the Nigerian athletes was achieved by Josiah Majekodunmi in the High Jump event.
After scaling the height of 1.87m in the first round, he moved the final and improved on the height he scaled by 0.3 metres after jumping over 1.90metres to placed ninth overall.
Next to him was Guobadia in the same High Jump event. In the first round, he scaled 1.87 like his compatriot. But in the final Guobadia could only jump over 1.80 metres to place 20th.
Incidentally, the anniversary of Nigeria’s maiden appearance at the Olympics coincide with that of the their best outing – Atlanta ’96. The Atlanta Games, which was the 26th edition also started on this date, 19 July 1996.
It was at the Atlanta ’96 that Nigeria first won gold medals – Chioma Ajunwa in the Long Jump and the men’s team in the football event.
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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