Following Russia’s Ekaterina Poistogova-Guliyev’s retroactive doping ban, USA’s Alysia Montaño is likely to be moved to a bronze medal from the 2012 London Games. Poistogova-Guliyev had been in silver medal standing from those Olympics, which she received after being upgraded from bronze following fellow countryman Maria Savinova’s own doping ban. She is likely to be stripped of the silver medal due to the Russian Federation cancelling her results from July 2012 to October 2014. Per Inside the Games, “The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) had previously called for a lifetime ban for Poistogova following an investigation into systematic doping in Russia. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) suspended her for two years in 2017, but allowed her results from before October 2015 to stand.”
Montaño had originally finished fifth in the 800 meter race at the 2012 London Olympics. Following Savinova’s ban (who had originally been awarded the gold medal), she was moved to fourth, and now with the latest doping case, is likely to move into the bronze position. The IOC makes determinations on medal movement and distribution following doping bans.
Alysia said in a post to Instagram, “A mixed bag of emotions, truth prevailing, heartbreak and relief, joy and pain.”
There are many issues with athletes who do not receive proper credit due to athletes who cheat through doping and steal their spotlight. Years of income, moments, publicity, shared memories, among many others. Montaño has stated that at least she would like her moment. “Here’s my ask at the very least: I want my medal at LA2028 in front of my entire family and friends on my home turf. I waited this long, 4 more years to do it right.”
To her point, Adam Nelson received a gold medal from the 2004 Olympic Games nine years after the fact in the food court at the Atlanta airport. “It was very unemotional, cold, sterile…I gave [the official from the USOC] my silver medal, he gave me the gold medal and we looked at each other and it was like ‘well, not much else to say here.'”
Alysia Montaño is one of the USA’s greatest middle distance runners. Nicknamed the “Flying Flower” she had a reputation of racing fearlessly from the front with a large flower in her hair. She is a six-time USA Champion in the 800 meters and a three-time World Championships bronze medalist.
At the 2014 USATF Outdoor Championships, Montaño raced while eight months pregnant, finishing the race in 2:32.13, and followed the performance the next year by by winning the USA Championship and earning a spot on the 2015 World Championships team. Her personal best time in the event came in 2010 when she ran 1:57.34.
