Sprinter back in GB relay squad after drugs ban - along with athlete who said he'd 'never forgive' him

A sprinter has been named in Great Britain’s relay squad for the first time since returning from a 22-month drugs ban.

CJ Ujah is back in the fold after serving his ban. Pic: PA

CJ Ujah tested positive for traces of ostarine, used to treat muscle wasting, and S-23, which promotes muscle growth, both of which are banned substances, at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

The whole team – (Lto R) Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake, CJ Ujah, Richard Kilty and Zharnel Hughes – had their medals stripped. Pic: PA

This led to his team being stripped of their silver medal, which they won after narrowly losing out on the top spot to Italy.

Richard Kilty, a teammate from three years ago, is also in the eight-man 4x100m relay squad ahead of May’s World Athletics Relays in the Bahamas.

Kilty said at the time he would “never forgive” Ujah for causing him to hand back his medal.

After the decision to strip them of their medals, Ujah, now aged 30, said it was something he will “regret for the rest of [his] life”.

“I would like to apologise to my teammates, their families and support teams for the impact which this has had on them,” he said.

“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.”

Reece Prescod, another member of the Tokyo squad, has also been named despite quitting the relay team shortly before last year’s World Championships in Budapest.

He had gone on to accuse UK Athletics of “emotional blackmail” in their attempts to convince him otherwise.

Appearing to refer to issues relating to Ujah and Prescod, British Athletics head of sprints and relays Darren Campbell said: “They (the men’s 4x100m squad) have had their fair share of challenges in recent years.

“But I have had my own discussions with each and every member of the squad and know they are motivated, committed and focused on working together to reach Paris.”

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Ujah was cleared of deliberately taking a banned substance, but was criticised for not following established protocols when he unknowingly bought a contaminated supplement for £10 off Amazon during lockdown.

In 2022, he said representing Team GB at his second Olympics “surpassed” his childhood ambitions and that he will “forever be devastated that this situation has marred the success achieved” in Japan.