Team GB’s relay team stripped of Olympic silver medal

CJ Ujah and the 4x100m relay team have had their Tokyo 2020 silver medals stripped in one of the darkest chapters in British sporting history.

Ujah sparked outrage after testing positive for two banned substances ostarine and S-23, which mimic testosterone, in the immediate aftermath of Team GB’s run to the second step of the podium last summer.

He argued to the Court of Arbitration for Sport that the drugs were consumed accidentally via a contaminated supplement, but on Friday the judgement went against the 27-year-old.

The rest of the quartet of Richard Kilty, Zharnel Hughes and Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake will now also be stripped of their medals because of their team-mate’s actions.

Ujah said: ‘I accept the decision issued by the Court of Arbitration for Sport today with sadness. I would like to make it clear that I unknowingly consumed a contaminated supplement and this was the reason why an anti-doping rule violation occurred at the Tokyo Olympic Games. I sincerely regret that this has inadvertently led to the forfeiture of the men’s 4 x 100m relay team’s Olympic silver medals at the Tokyo Olympic Games.

‘I would like to apologise to my team-mates, their families and support teams for the impact which this has had on them. I’m sorry that this situation has cost my teammates the medals they worked so hard and so long for, and which they richly deserved. That is something I will regret for the rest of my life.

Ujah and his teammates finished second in the final to earn themselves a silver medal

Team GB have now been stripped of their silver medals after Ujah’s positive test was confirmed

‘I would also like to apologise to both British Athletics and Team GB. British Athletics has supported the relay athletes for years and this has been difficult for everyone involved in the programme. Representing my country at a second Olympic Games surpassed my childhood sporting ambitions and I will forever be devastated that this situation has marred the success achieved by the men’s 4 x 100 relay team in Tokyo.

‘Now that the IOC proceedings have concluded before CAS, my focus is on the forthcoming proceedings before World Athletics and I will therefore not be making any further comment until those separate proceedings have concluded.’

It will now fall on the Athletics Integrity Unit to determine the length of ban, which could be up to four years. Earlier on Friday, Nigerian sprinter Blessing Okagbare was given a massive 10-year ban for testing positive for multiple substances at the Olympics and failing to cooperate with the subsequent investigation.