As a result, U.S. athlete given a four-year ban for doping by the Court of Arbitration for Sport on Friday. She will also be stripped of two gold medals she won at the 2011 world outdoor championships and 2012 London Olympics, as well as a 2013 world silver medal, all in the 800 meters.
As a result, U.S. athlete Brenda Martinez will likely soon be upgraded to a silver medal for her performance in the 800 meters at the 2013 world championships and American Alysia Montañowill receive bronze medals for her races at the 2011 and 2013 world championships. Officials will first need to verify the new results.
Martinez learned the news early this morning from her husband. The two had been trying to fly to New York from their home in California so she could compete in the Wanamaker Mile at the Millrose Games on Saturday, but the trip was cancelled due to weather-related flight delays on the east coast.
“I’m excited. I feel like it’s been a long time coming. I’m really grateful that the anti-doping agencies are finally taking care of business,” Martinez said during a phone interview with Runner’s World. “I know they’ve been doing their best, but it’s been a long time coming and I’m glad it’s done.”
A Part of Hearst Digital Media Running in the Cold by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), including the 2016 Rio Games, since November 2015, when the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) issued a report revealing that government officials facilitated doping, corruption, tampering, and cover-ups of drug tests. Earlier this week the IAAF announced that the ban will continue until at least November.
Ekaterina Poistogova, another Russian athlete who was the 800-meter bronze medalist at the 2012 Games, was recommended for a ban by WADA in 2015 and also faces suspension. Should she be stripped of her medal, it is likely that Montaño would receive the London Olympics bronze.
In fact, if Savinova and Poistogova have all their titles stripped, Montaño will benefit the most. A six-time U.S. outdoor 800-meter champion, she currently has one bronze from the 2010 world indoor championships. In all, she stands to gain the silver from that meet and three bronzes, from the 2012 Olympics and the 2011 and 2013 outdoor world championships.
While receiving the medals retroactively is meaningful, many athletes are angered that they have missed out on some of the greatest moments of their lives. They also lost out financially, from performance bonuses, appearance fees, and other incentives.
Montaño was not immediately available for comment on Friday, but she spoke about finishing behind athletes who were doping . “You can’t pay me that back,” Montaño said. “In 2012 my grandmother was here. It was her 100th birthday the day I became an Olympian. I was so motivated to give everything I’ve got. And my everything was enough, but I didn’t show up because there were cheaters and people who were covering up while [my grandmother] was here.
“I know she was proud of me, and she wasn’t thinking about the medals, but still, being able to have celebrated that time with her is something I can’t get back…she will never see my vindication. That’s unforgiveable.”
Martinez has similar feelings now, saying that she has to constantly remind herself to focus on what she can control in her training and competition and who she surrounds herself with for a support team. She said she’s unsure if she’ll be able to recoup performance bonuses associated with the upgraded medal, but on Friday morning she had already received a congratulatory call from her contacts at New Balance, the company that has sponsored her for several years.
“When I started my professional career I was really careful about who I wanted to associate with,” Martinez said. “I didn’t want any gray areas. Everybody knows I train hard. I put my workouts out there. There’s no secret to what I do.”
