Enfield sprinter making comeback for Team GB after doping ban

CJ Ujah was banned for nearly two years in 2021 but was cleared of intentionally doping

CJ Ujah (second from left) was part of Team GB's gold-medal winning relay team in 2017 — CJ Ujah (second from left) was part of Team GB’s world champion 4x100m relay team in 2017 (credit Erik van Leeuwen via Wikimedia)

Enfield’s fastest man is returning to the track with Team GB for the first time after serving a doping ban.

Chijindu ‘CJ’ Ujah, aged 30, grew up in Enfield and has one older sibling. He attended St Matthew’s CofE Primary School in Ponders End. He went on to become a world champion in 2017 as part of the gold-medal winning 4x100m relay team.

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But CJ was banned was banned for 22 months after testing positive for two prohibited substances at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, despite being cleared of intentional doping. The violation mean that GB’s 4x100m relay team were stripped of their Olympic silver.

Now, after finishing his ban, CJ has been called up to run at the World Athletics Relays event in the Bahamas on 4th-5th May. The two-day event doubles as the Olympic qualifying event ahead of the Paris Olympic Games this summer.

CJ has been joined in the Team GB relay squad by Zharnel Hughes, Richard Kilty and Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake.

UK Athletics sprinting team boss Darren Campbell said of CJ’s selection: “They 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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