CJ Ujah, the British sprinter who was part of Team GB’s relay team that brought home silver in Tokyo for this month’s Olympics, has been provisionally suspended after testing positive for a banned substance.
The AIU (Athletics Integrity Unit) said a recent test showed the “presence/use of a prohibited substance (Ostarine and S-23)”.
A UK Athletics spokesperson said the governing body does not comment on ongoing processes.
Ujah, who won the 100m at the British Championships in June, is yet to comment.
Ujah ran the opening leg in the final, with the team rounded out by Zharnel Hughes, Richard Kilty and Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake only being passed in the closing stages by Italy.
The quartet were eventually beaten by just one-hundredth of a second, with Canada back in third and China finishing just outside the medal positions.
World Athletics Anti-Doping rules state that in instances where an athlete who has committed an anti-doping rule violation competed as a member of a relay team, “the relay team shall be automatically disqualified from the event in question, with all resulting consequences for the relay team, including the forfeiture of all titles, awards, medals, points and prize and appearance money”.
Ujah was one of four athletes named in a statement from the Athletics Integrity Unit on Thursday, along with Bahrain 1500m runner Sadik Mikhou, Georgian shot putter Benik Abramyan and Kenyan sprinter Mark Otieno Odhiambo.
Enobosarm, also known as Ostarine or MK-2866, is a banned substance found on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s list.
The drug was marketed for the treatment of muscle wasting diseases like sarcopenia and cachexia but has been shown to have anabolic properties that make it perfect not only for patients with these conditions but athletes looking to boost their performance.
The UK Anti-Doping (Ukad) website said it has “similar effects to testosterone”.
