U.S 4x400 Relay, Kara Goucher to Receive Medals Upgrades At World Championships
The International Association of Athletics Federation, track and field's governing body, announced that 11 athletes and five relay teams across 11 events will receive reallocated medals from previous world championships as a result of anti-doping rule violations by other athletes. Ceremonies will be held at the Olympic Stadium in London during the upcoming world championships.
"I’m delighted that the athletes are properly honored for their achievements and what better way than in front of passionate athletics fans at a major championship," IAAF president Sebastian Coe said in a statement. "For those receiving gold medals their moment in London will be all the more special as they will hear their national anthem played. Whatever their nationality clean athletes worldwide will celebrate with them."
Among the athletes receiving medals are U.S. distance runner Kara Goucher and sprinter Francena McCorory. Goucher will be promoted from bronze to silver in the women's 10,000 meters from the 2007 world championships in Osaka after Turkey's Elvan Abeylegesse tested positive ahead of her. Great Britain's Jo Pavey will receive Goucher's bronze medal after she finished fourth in that same race.
“This is every clean athlete’s dream—that people get caught no matter how long after the fact,” Goucher told SI in 2015 when informed of the possible medal upgrade.
• Kara Goucher discusses 2007 medal upgrade, doping in track and field
McCorory will receive a bronze medal in the women's 400 meters from the 2011 world championships in Daegu after bronze medalist Anastasia Kapachinskaya of Russia was disqualified due to a PED offense. She also owns two Olympic gold medals from the 2012 and 2016 4x400-meter relays.
The U.S. will also get promoted from silver to fold in the women's 4x400-meter relay from the 2013 world championships in Moscow after the Russian team that won gold was disqualified. That relay was comprised of Jessica Beard, Natasha Hastings, Ashley Spencer and McCorory.
A gold medal will also be reallocated to Jessica Ennis in the women's heptathlon. Ennis won gold in the event at the 2012 Olympics and will get to her hear her national anthem at the same stadium five years later.
Below is a full list of the medal upgrades:
4x400m Women – Berlin 2009
GBR (promoted from 4th to Bronze)
Lee McConnell
Christine Ohuruogu
Vicki Barr
Nicole Sanders
400m Women – Daegu 2011
Francena McCorory USA (promoted from 4th to Bronze)
4x400m Women – Daegu 2011
GBR (promoted from 4th to Bronze)
Perri Shakes Drayton
Nicole Sanders
Christine Ohuruogu
Lee McConnell
400m Women – Moscow 2013
Stephanie Ann McPherson JAM (promoted from 4th to Bronze)
4x400m Women – Moscow 2013 – with anthem
USA (promoted from Silver to Gold)
Jessica Beard
Natasha Hastings
Ashley Spencer
Francena McCorory
GBR (promoted from Bronze to Silver)
Eilidh Doyle (née Child)
Shana Cox
Margaret Adeoye
Christine Ohuruogu
FRA (promoted from 4th to Bronze)
Marie Gayot
Lenora Guion-Firmin (absent)
Muriel Hurtis-Houairi
Floria Guei
10.000m Women – Osaka 2007
Kara Goucher USA (promoted from Bronze to Silver)
Jo Pavey GBR (promoted from 4th to Bronze)
1500m Women – Osaka 2007
Irina Lishchynska UKR (promoted from Bronze to Silver)
Long Jump Women – Daegu 2011
Ineta Radevica LAT (promoted from Bronze to Silver)
Shot Put Men – Osaka 2007
Rutger Smith NED (promoted from 4th to Bronze)
Heptathlon Women – Daegu 2011 – with anthem
Jessica Ennis GBR (promoted from Silver to Gold)
Jennifer Oeser GER (promoted from Bronze to Silver)
20km Race Walk Men – Berlin 2009
Eder Sanchez MEX (promoted from Bronze to Silver)
Giorgio Rubino ITA (promoted from 4th to Bronze)
