Lisa Dobriskey, a British athlete, did not hold back when she placed tenth in the women’s 1500m final at London 2012. At that time, the athlete said to the BBC: “I don’t believe I’m competing on a level playing field.”
With six of the first nine finishers—including Tatyana Tomashova—breaking anti-doping rules, the race has been called the dirtiest in history. The 49-year-old Russian middle-distance runner was given a 10-year sports ban, in addition to losing the silver medal she took home from the competition.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport reported that she was sanctioned after testing positive for anabolic steroids in 2021 in retests of her out-of-competition samples from July 17, 2012, and June 21, 2012.
Moreover, twelve years ago, Dobriskey’s British teammate Laura Weightman finished the race in eleventh place; however, as a result of other people having their rankings erased, she now stands sixth. The athlete said: “11th to 6th in the years since the London 2012 final. Hard to comprehend… I’ll always be proud of my career and showing what is possible by running clean.”
Tomashova, a two-time world champion who was also banned from competition in 2008, was initially placed fourth in the 1500m final, but her position was changed after Turkish competitors Gamze Bulut and Asli Cakir Alptekin were stripped of their medals due to doping.
Due to Tomashova’s penalty, Dobriskey will now finish the race in fifth place.
Source: BBC