LONDON (AP) — British sprinter Chijindu Ujah was banned for 22 months on Monday after testing positive for two prohibited substances during the Tokyo Olympics last year.
Ujah tested positive for ostarine and S-23 after the final of the 4×100-meter relay, in which Britain finished second. Ujah has already been stripped of his silver medal, as have teammates Zharnel Hughes, Richard Kilty and Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake.
The ban was backdated to Aug. 6 last year, the date of the positive test, so Ujah can return on June 5 next year, two months before the world championship in Budapest.
Announcing the ban, the Athletics Integrity Unit said it accepted Ujah’s explanation that he did not intentionally take prohibited drugs and that his failed test was “as a result of his ingestion of a contaminated supplement.”
A two-year ban was reduced to 22 months because he admitted to the violation.
“Taking supplements is risky for athletes as they can be contaminated or even adulterated with prohibited substances,” said Brett Clothier, head of AIU. “Athletes owe it to their fellow competitors to be 100% certain before putting anything into their body.
“If there’s the slightest doubt, leave it out.”
The ban means Ujah cannot compete in the first five Diamond League meets next year.
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