British Relay Team Could Be Stripped Of Silver Medal After Sprinter Cops Suspension For Doping

Great Britain has been rocked by a doping scandal less than a week after the conclusion of the Tokyo Games.

The entire GB Olympic relay team, who produced a memorable performance to clinch second in the 4x100m final, could be stripped of their silver medals after Chijindu Ujah was provisionally suspended for an alleged doping violation.

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The Athletics Integrity Unit announced that an official doping laboratory in Tokyo had flagged an "adverse analytical finding" in one of Ujah's in-competition doping tests.

According to reports, the sample contained the illicit substances Ostarine and S-23 which are used to build and repair muscle - similar to that of an anabolic steroid effect.

These substances are strictly prohibited in the eyes of the World Anti-Doping Agency and carry lengthy bans if athletes are caught dabbling in them.

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It's heartbreaking news for the rest of Team GB's relay squad, who could also have their medals taken away following Ujah's alleged breach of the anti-doping rules.

That said, there is some hope for 27-year-old Ujah.

The man in question can still request analysis of his B-sample which is kept in storage while the A-sample is tested.

But if that sample also returns a positive reading for performance enhancing drugs, then Ujah's case will be referred to the Anti-Doping Division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

For Ujah, he's only provisionally suspended at the moment.

But if he's found guilty, he be slapped with a ban and his teammates Zharnel Hughes, Richard Kilty and Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake willhave their medals stripped too.

As for the rest of the competition in Tokyo, Ujah's ban would mean that Canada's bronze medal would be upgraded to silver and China would move from 4th up into bronze.

Italy, who beat Great Britain by just 0.01 seconds, will keep their historic gold - the first in the country's history in the 4x100m.

Ujah, as you can probably imagine, was gutted up hearing the devastating news but decided to break his silence by posting an Instagram picture of himself with the caption reading: "Stay focused... Because truth is madder than fiction."

Topics: Team GB, olympics, Tokyo Olympics, Australia

Max Sherry

Max Sherry is a journalist for SPORTbible Australia. After migrating Down Under from London as a teenager, he instantly fell in love with Aussie sport and its culture. From NRL to AFL, cricket to rugby — you name it, Max watches it (with a beer in hand, of course). During his time at Fox Sports, he worked in the football department covering the Premier League, A-League, Socceroos and Matildas. Born a stone's throw away from West Ham's training ground, Max is obviously a die-hard Liverpool fan.

@maxysherry