A 16-year interlude: Shannon Rowbury’s wait for Olympic justice and her medal | More sports news

KOLKATA: For Shannon Rowbury, the London 2012 Olympics never ended.The American middle-distance runner finished sixth in the women’s 1,500-meter final that night, believing she had missed out on an Olympic medal. But what followed over the next 13 years was the unraveling of one of the most tainted races in Olympic history.Turks Asli Cakir Alptekin and Gamze Bulut, who finished first and second respectively, were later disqualified for doping. Russia’s Tatyana Tomashova, who initially placed fourth and later rose to silver, was also disqualified following a doping case in 2024.As a result, Rowbury was eventually elevated to third place. In June 2025, the IOC officially reallocated the medals, making Rowbury the 2012 Olympic 1,500 m bronze medalist.Now, 16 years after the London race, the American will finally physically receive the medal at the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028, in front of the people who matter most to her.“I am an optimistic person, so I always try to find the positives,” Rowbury said in Bhubaneswar last month. “It has been something very difficult. When I heard the news, my whole body started to shake. I started sobbing. It was a big part of the frustration I carried inside me about the injustice of sport.”Since then, the London 1,500m final has become infamous, with six of the top nine finishers disqualified or linked to performance-enhancing drug use. For Rowbury, however, the story is no longer simply about what he lost in London. It’s about what finally brought him back to clean sport.“I try to feel gratitude for the fact that my story is getting justice,” she said. “Now I will have the opportunity to receive my medal in front of my two children. They will see their mother recognized for winning with integrity and the right way.”That sense of justice has also shaped what Rowbury does today. He works with US Anti-Doping and speaks at conferences and events, trying to bring a human dimension to the fight against doping.When asked about India’s doping problem and what federations can do to reduce numbers, Rowbury stressed that the answer cannot be limited to testing and punishment.“It’s not just about winning a race; it’s about sportsmanship and how you win,” he said, advocating for an ecosystem that encourages performance while making it clear that cheating has consequences.“Once there is a clear directive that if you are cheating and you get caught, you will lose your eligibility or there will be sanctions, then hopefully that will discourage that.”But Rowbury also believes the solution must start much earlier, during the development of young athletes and the creation of strong foundations built around the right values.His own experience has also changed the way he views athletes and perhaps explains why his transition to broadcasting has felt so natural.Rowbury began broadcasting while still competing, covering smaller meets in 2017 before retiring from competition in 2021. Since then, she has worked in various roles with USA Track & Field, World Athletics and various broadcasters, and won an Emmy for her work during the Paris Olympics.For her, being an athlete first has given her a different perspective when telling the stories of those who still compete.That understanding has followed her to India, where she recently visited the World Athletics Silver Level Continental Tour and worked on in-stadium commentary while also leading a workshop for aspiring Indian broadcasters.But it’s Los Angeles that now looms large in his mind. When Rowbury steps into an Olympic stadium in 2028, he won’t be chasing another medal. Instead, you will finally receive what you should have received 16 years ago.