Nigerian-born British sprinter, Chijindu “CJ” Ujah has been hit with a suspension from all athletics events, following a ‘breach of banned drugs’ charge leveled against him, megasportsarena.com reports.
Megasportsarena.com gathered that the suspension comes after Ujah, who was part of the British relay team that won silver in the men’s 4x100m at Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, tested positive for two banned substances.
The 27-year-old Ujah, who ran alongside Zharnel Hughes, Richard Kilty and Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake in the quartet that was beaten to gold by Italy, has been handed a provisional suspension pending an investigation by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU).
This means Britain’s silver medals are now at risk and, if the ban is upheld, Canada could be upgraded to second place, with China receiving bronze, after the AIU announced that three other athletes were also found to have breached anti-doping rules.
The other affected athletes from various counties ad events include Bahrain’s middle-distance runner Sadik Mikhou, Georgian shot-putter Benik Abramyan, and Kenyan sprinter Mark Otieno Odhiambo.
The AIU revealed that it had worked with the International Testing Agency to target two of the four athletes, but it did not reveal which two athletes were targeted or why, but Kenya and Bahrain are listed as category A high-risk countries in relation to their doping threat in athletics.
The AIU also pointed out that Ujah tested positive during the Games for two banned substances known as Sarms (Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators): S23, which aids muscle building, and Ostarine, an anabolic agent.
UK Anti-Doping Agency (UKAD) describes the anabolic agent 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.’”
