Britain’s Olympic medallist, Kelly Sotherton (41) wants a medal ceremony at London Stadium, after waiting nine years for her 2008 Olympic heptathlon bronze medal. Sotherton won Olympic heptathlon bronze in 2004 and 4x400m relay in Beijing, after Belarus and Russia’s disqualification. Now she has finally been upgraded to bronze in 2008 heptathlon after Russia’s Tatyana Chernova lost doping appeal at Court of Arbitration for Sport.
“I want to hear the roar of the crowd and have the feeling of what it would have felt like in Beijing, being celebrated by all those people,” she said. “I want my moment in front of thousands.” You can also win your moment of glory with the help of pinnacle vip code 2018 – you’ll always have the best odds and useful resources.
Sotherton originally finished fifth but has been upgraded to third after Chernova has been stripped of her bronze medal. Russian track and field athletes were banned from contesting at the 2016 Rio Olympics after pervasive, state-sponsored doping was brought to light. Ukrainian Lyudmila Blonska finished fourth in the 2008 heptathlon but has also been sanctioned for doping.
The three-time Olympian says she blames the system, rather than Chernova, for what happened: “That was Chernova’s last medal, she has had her career wiped. That is the price she pays.”
Sotherton, who is still waiting for her reallocated 4x400m relay medal, says getting her heptathlon medal will be a crown to her career.
“I feel my career has been worth something now. It shows success, and maybe I was better than I appeared to people.”
She added that after being angry for a long time she was looking forward to receiving the medals and focusing on the future and all that the medal can bring.
“I can now move forward and not think what could have been,” said the British runner. “I can’t complain about three Olympic bronze medals, it is more than anyone can ask for.
This would have been the moment I knew I had won a medal. Instead looking on, knowing 2 athletes ahead of me cheated their way to Olympic medals. Will never get those few moments back, ever. pic.twitter.com/Ccc8FF1wg0
— Kelly Sotherton (@KellySotherton) December 5, 2017
Chernova is supposed to return the medal at the request of Russia’s athletics federation, but maybe the IOC will opt for engraving the new one to avoid delaying an award ceremony.
Several athletes – Sotherton’s colleague heptathlete Jessica Ennis-Hill being one of them – already received Olympic and World Championship medals retrospectively during the World Athletics Championships and Anniversary Games at London Stadium last summer.
According to the British Olympic Association, Sotherton will get her deserved ceremony. The BOA will contact Sotherton and UK Athletics about a suitable time and venue for the medal presentation.
“To do it at the Olympic stadium in your home country, with my family there, would be pretty special.”
Five years ago, Sotherton withdrew from professional athletics after an unsuccessful attempt to recover from a back problem in time to qualify for London 2012.