Photo: Barrington Coombs - British Athletics/British Athletics via Getty
The British Olympic Association (BOA) announced the request from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in a statement issued Thursday and shared with PEOPLE.
The decision comes three months after theCAS ruledthat British sprinter Chijindu Ujah had violated doping rules after testing positive for two banned substances.
“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 the statement.
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Ujah’s relay teammates Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake, Zharnel Hughes and Richard Kilty, who did not test positive for a banned substance, must forfeit their medals as well.
“We have written to them all to ensure they know their individual status is not diminished in the eyes of everyone at the BOA,” Anson added.
Ujah tested positive for the two banned substances on August 6, 2021, following the completion of the 4x100m relay, according to CAS' February decision. The International Testing Agency informed the 28-year-old sprinter of his results six days later.
In a written response submitted shortly after the positive test results, Ujah claimed he did not knowingly or intentionally ingest the prohibited substances, though he did not challenge the results of the test.
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“I would like to apologise to my teammates, their families and support teams for the impact which this has had on them,” he continued. “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.”
source: people.com
