Canadian relay team to receive upgraded Olympic medal at Canadian Track and Field Championships
The Canadian relay quartet of Andre De Grasse, Aaron Brown, Brendon Rodney and Jerome Blake will finally be awarded their upgraded Olympic silver medals Saturday in Langley, B.C.
Photo by:
Kevin Morris
Two years after the Canadian men’s 4x100m relay team won silver at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the four men will finally be awarded their medals on Saturday at the 2023 Canadian Track and Field Championships in Langley, B.C. The quartet was first awarded bronze, but the disqualification of Team Great Britain for a positive doping test in Sept 2021 led to their ascent to the silver medal position.
A momentous occasion awaits the Canadian men’s 4x100m relay team, comprised of Jerome Blake from Burnaby, B.C., Aaron Brown from Toronto, Andre De Grasse from Markham, Ont. and Brendon Rodney from Etobicoke, Ont. The four men will finally be awarded their long-awaited Olympic medals during a recognition ceremony on Saturday afternoon.
The unexpected upgrade for Team Canada came as a result of the disqualification of British sprinter C.J. Ujah, who was suspended shortly after the Games when his test sample was found to contain ostarine and S-23, both of which are prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Ujah was given a two-year ban from athletics, and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) subsequently disqualified Team GB and reallocated their silver medals to the Canadians, while Japan was upgraded to bronze; Italy won gold.
In response to his suspension, Ujah said that he “unknowingly consumed a contaminated supplement,” which was the reason for the positive test. He apologized to the team and UK Athletics, saying the consequences are something he will “regret for the rest of his life.”
The Canadian 4x100m men’s relay team got their revenge at the 2022 World Athletics Championships, where they won their first gold medal in the 4x100m discipline in 25 years, beating the pre-race favourites Team USA on their home soil. They will enter the 2023 World Championships in Budapest as the defending world champions.
The 2023 Canadian Track and Field Championships in Langley, B.C. kick off on Thursday, July 27 and run till Sunday, July 30. All of Canada’s top athletes will be in attendance, trying to secure their spot on Team Canada for the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest next month.
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