British sprinter CJ Ujah has been provisionally suspended for an alleged doping violation just one week after playing a role in Team GB’s 4x100m relay silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics.
In an astonishing development, the Athletics Integrity Unit revealed on Thursday evening that Ujah returned an adverse analytical finding from testing conducted during the Games.
The AIU said they were looking into the presence in the 27-year-old’s sample of two banned substances – the anabolic aid Ostarine and S-23, which aids muscle building.
If the findings lead to a conviction, the relay quartet and Team GB will be faced with the immensely embarrassing scenario of being stripped of the silver medal they won last Friday.
Ujah had led the quartet of himself, Zharnel Hughes, Richard Kilty and Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake out of the blocks in one of the most exhilarating races of the Games.
The British team led until the final metres when Mitchell-Blake was passed by Italy’s the Filippo Tortu, costing them a gold medal by only 0.01sec. If they lose the medal, China would be upgraded to bronze.
Sportsmail understands that figures at UK Athletics were left stunned by the news, which they heard barely an hour prior to the official announcement.
They will not comment on an active investigation, while there has not yet been a response from Ujah’s representatives.
The UK Anti-Doping Agency (Ukad) website describes Ostarine as having ‘a similar effect to testosterone’, adding: ‘Dietary supplements containing Ostarine typically claim to promote muscle building. Unscrupulous manufacturers may market such products as “legal steroids” or “steroid alternatives”.’
Ujah had been at risk of falling off the 100m map after some underwhelming seasons in the wake of a stunning 2017, in which he won both the Diamond League title and a 4x100m world championship gold medal.
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