Not so fast. The British Olympic Association announced Thursday that the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled the country’s 4×100-meter relay team must return the silver medals they won during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. CAS ruled that British sprinter Chijindu Ujah tested positive for two banned substances back in February.
Due to the violation, Ujah and three of his fellow British sprinters had their medals stripped from the team event. Ujah’s results in the 100-meter sprint, an individual event, were also disqualified.
“It is with real sadness that we have had to ask for the medals, certificates and pins back, especially for the three athletes who have been affected through no fault of their own,” BOA CEO Andy Anson said in a statement, according to CNN. “However, this is the CAS ruling and we must abide by it, just as we have been clear that must happen to other nations whose athletes have broken doping rules.”
Canada ended up finishing in third place in the event and was initially awarded bronze medals back in August, but will now get silver medals.
Ujah has accepted the CAS decision, but is claiming he wasn’t aware that he took any banned substances. Ujah also said that his positive test result was due to a “contaminated supplement.”
– CBSsports.com
