Natalya Antyukh Becomes Third Russian To Lose Her London 2012 Gold

Natalya Antyukh has become the third Russian to lose her London 2012 gold medal over a doping scandal.

Natalya Antyukh beat American Lashinda Demus to win the 400m hurdles gold at the London 2012 Summer Olympics.

However, based on historical data from a Moscow testing laboratory, Antyukh will have to relinquish the medal to Demus.

Brett Clothier, the head of the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), which disqualified Antyukh, said it was committed to “clean and fair competition and results, even if a decade later.

“The AIU remains committed to investigating all cases of potential violations and securing the appropriate outcomes.

“The integrity of the sport of athletics is our utmost priority and we are pleased, in this instance, that athletes who competed fairly at the highest level will ultimately be acknowledged as the rightful medal winners.”

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) can now move Zuzjana Hejnova of the Czech Republic to the silver medal position based on this declaration, with Kaliese Spencer of Jamaica moving up to the bronze medal spot after Antyukh chose not to appeal her punishment.

Currently, all three of Russia’s track gold medals from the 2012 London Olympics have been revoked due to doping.

The initial champions of the 800-meter and 3000-meter steeplechases, Mariya Savinova and Yuliya Zaripova of Russia, have been disqualified.

The records for Tatyana Lysenko’s victory in the field with the hammer and Ivan Ukhov’s triumph in the high jump have also been wiped out.

In 2016, the Wada-commissioned McLaren Report asserted that over 1,000 Russian athletes from a variety of sports had participated in a state-sponsored program of systematic doping.

The statement said, “London 2012 was contaminated on a scale never before seen.”

Before now, World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) investigation into cheating by Russia found Antyukh guilty of doping. Due to that, the agency slammed a four-year ban on her.