By Julian Shea
LONDON (Reuters) – Britain’s former Olympic heptathlon champion Jessica Ennis-Hill will be back on the podium next month as one of the athletes receiving medals reallocated from dopers at the world championships, the IAAF announced on Wednesday.
Medals in 11 different events from four previous worlds will be presented in London following positive drug tests.
The gold medal for 2012 Olympics poster girl Ennis-Hill, who has since retired from competing and is expecting her second child, will be presented with full honors, including the raising of the British flag and playing of the national anthem.
Ennis-Hill, now 31, will receive her gold from the 2011 worlds in Daegu, where she finished second behind Russia’s Tatyana Chernova, who was later banned and stripped of her medal in November 2016 for blood doping offences.
The presentation to Ennis-Hill, who also won gold at the worlds in 2009 and 2015, will take place before the Aug. 6 evening session, when the heptathlon comes to a conclusion.
Twice world 400 meters champion Christine Ohuruogu will become Britain’s most decorated female athlete when she receives three medals as part of the 4x400m relay teams from 2009, 2011 and 2013 – two bronze and a silver upgraded from bronze.
Gold will be awarded to the United States 4x400m team from the Moscow 2013 worlds, with the medals presented in a full ceremony on the opening night of the championships on Aug. 4.
Kara Goucher of the U.S., who won bronze in the 10,000m at the 2007 worlds in Osaka, will be promoted to silver following a positive dope test by Elvan Abeylegesse of Turkey.
British distance runner Jo Pavey will be upgraded to bronze in that event, her first world championships medal.
“I’m delighted that the athletes are properly honored for their achievements and what better way than in front of passionate athletics fans at a major championship,” said IAAF president Lord Sebastian Coe in a statement.
“For those receiving gold medals their moment in London will be all the more special as they will hear their national anthem played. Whatever their nationality clean athletes worldwide will celebrate with them.”
The IAAF said it was working with national federations to find other occasions to present medals to athletes unable to take up an invitation to receive them in London.
The 2017 worlds, the 16th edition, will take place at the London Stadium, venue of the 2012 Olympics, from Aug. 4-13.
(Reporting by Julian Shea, Editing by Ken Ferris)
