Eight months after the Tokyo Olympics, Canada is adding one more silver medal to its tally.
The Canadian men’s 4×100-metre relay team was upgraded to silver on Thursday as Great Britain, which placed second in the event, was told to return its medals following sprinter CJ Ujah’s doping violation.
“We’re happy the 4×100 metre athletes will be receiving the medal they earned, and we know their performance inspired many during the difficult second summer of the pandemic,” Eric Myles, chief sport officer of the Canadian Olympic Committee, said in a statement to The Canadian Press.
“Though the anti-doping process worked, it’s disappointing that we’re still seeing doping cases robbing athletes of their moment at Games.
“We haven’t received a timeline for awarding the silver medals yet.”
Ujah and the British squad placed just 1/100th of a second behind champion Italy (35.5 seconds). Canada, featuring Andre De Grasse, Brendon Rodney, Aaron Brown and Jerome Blake in the final, took bronze in 37.70 seconds.
A sample taken from Ujah after the race was found to contain the prohibited substances ostarine and S-23, which are muscle-building selective androgen receptor modulators. Ujah’s claim that he unknowingly ingested the substance was later rejected.
Zharnel Hughes, Richard Kilty and Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake competed alongside Ujah.
“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,” Andy Anson, CEO of the British Olympic Association said. “However, this is the [Court of Arbitration for Sport] ruling and we must abide by it, just as we have been clear that must happen to other nations whose athletes have broken doping rules.”
Seventh silver for Canada in Tokyo
China, which placed fourth in the event, is expected to be upgraded to bronze.
Along with seven gold medals, Canada can now claim seven silver medals and 10 bronze from Tokyo 2020, for a total of 24 podium appearances.
It becomes the second silver medal of De Grasse’s Olympic career, and the Scarborough, Ont., native now owns a medal of each colour from Tokyo. He also won 200m gold and 100m bronze.
Britain has only twice previously been stripped of Olympic medals — both bronze. Judoka Kerrith Brown produced a positive for a diuretic at the 1988 Seoul Games — after claiming to be unaware the substance was prohibited — and a banned stimulant methamphetamine was detected in skier Alain Baxter’s sample at the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Games after he used a nasal inhaler.
The process for upgrading medals after a doping violation can be painstaking.
Canadian Dylan Armstrong finished fourth in shot put at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and so never climbed the Olympic medal podium. Years later, he was upgraded to bronze after Andrei Mikhnevich of Belarus was disqualified for doping.
Armstrong finally received his medal — Canada’s first in shot put at an Olympics — at a ceremony in his hometown of Kamloops, B.C., in 2015, seven years after the actual competition.
TORONTO – Reigning PWHL MVP and scoring champ Natalie Spooner will miss the start of the regular season for the Toronto Sceptres, general manager Gina Kingsbury announced Tuesday on the first day of training camp.
The 33-year-old Spooner had knee surgery on her left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) after she was checked into the boards by Minnesota’s Grace Zumwinkle in Game 3 of their best-of-five semifinal series on May 13.
She had a goal and an assist in three playoff games but did not finish the series. Toronto was up 2-1 in the semifinal at that time and eventually fell 3-2 in the series.
Spooner led the PWHL with 27 points in 24 games. Her 20 goals, including five game-winners, were nine more than the closest skater.
Kingsbury said there is no timeline, as the team wants the Toronto native at 100 per cent, but added that “she is doing really well” in her recovery.
The Sceptres open the PWHL season on Nov. 30 when they host the Boston Fleet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 12, 2024.
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.
“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”
Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.
The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.
Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.
“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”
Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.
“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”
The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.
“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”
Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.
“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.
Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.
The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.
The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.
Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.
Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
