Nelson awarded 2004 Olympic shot putt gold

American shot putter Adam Nelson was officially awarded the 2004 Athens Olympic gold medal on Thursday following the doping disqualification of Ukraine’s Yuriy Bilonoh.

The International Olympic Committee and IAAF, the global governing body for athletics, approved the change, which finally rewards Nelson for his achievement on August 18, 2004, in the ancient Olympic Stadium at Olympia, Greece.

The silver medal Nelson received in Athens after another silver four years earlier in Sydney was among a set of runner-up efforts for the US veteran, a three-time worlds runner-up whose biggest win, until now, had been at the 2005 world championship.

“It has been a long wait for Adam, but we are thrilled to see him justly rewarded,” USA Track and Field chief executive Max Siegel said. “Adam is one of the greatest shot putters in history. Adding this Olympic gold medal to his 2005 world championship, 2000 Olympic silver medal and countless other medals and honours only reinforces his already-impressive legacy.” Bilonoh had been declared the winner for a throw of 21.16 metres on the last of his six attempts. But when a 2004 drug sample was retested last year, it came back positive for steroids.In the revised results, seven-time US champion Nelson won with a throw of 21.16m on his first attempt, his only successful attempt of the competition.

Denmark’s Joachim Olsen moved into Nelson’s former silver medal spot at 21.07m while Spain’s Manuel Martinez moved up to claim the bronze medal at 20.84m.

AFP