© Copyright – 2022 – Athletics Illustrated


The legendary Arthur Lydiard training program is often misunderstood, even by people who believe that they fully understand his methodology.

South Africa’s Caster Semenya, Russian Ekaterina Poistogova, and Kenyan Pamela Jelimo will move up one position respectively, from their silver, bronze, and fourth place finishes during the 2012 London Olympic Games 800m final. Meanwhile, Russian Mariya Savinova is stripped of her gold for doping.

The three athletes finished in 1:57.23, 1:57.53, and 1:57.59 respectively.

Jelimo was honoured with the bronze on Wednesday at the National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOC-K) office, Gallant House, Nairobi by the legendary Kip Keino.

Jelimo did win gold four years earlier at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. She continues to own the African, and U20 World records with her 2008 performance of 1:54.01 from her win in Zürich, Switzerland Diamond League.

Semenya holds seven national records including in the 800m with her 1:54.25 performance from the 2018 Diamond League Paris meet. The South African won gold in the event at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. She is a three-time World Championships gold medallist and also earned a bronze. Semenya is a 21-time Diamond League winner and 18-time national champion in events that range from 400m to the 5000m distances.

Poistogova won gold in the national, national indoors, European, and Diamond League. London is her only global medal.

The rest of the field will move up one or two positions as another Russian, Elena Arzhakova, who finished sixth in 1:59.21 in the same race was also banned for doping.

On Nov. 9, 2015, the Independent Commission Investigation (ITA) of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) asked for a lifetime ban for Savinova, who had won gold, and Poistogova, who had won bronze.

There is an eight-year statute of limitations on testing and retesting of samples from respective Olympic Games. Leading up to the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games (which were postponed one year), many athletes from London were served suspensions. This pattern may continue as new and more advanced testing procedures are created.

However, the ITA an independent tester commissioned by the IOC finished up their re-testing from London in early Dec. 2022.

“The ITA has concluded the re-analysis project that was initiated by the IOC and was handed to the ITA in 2018. As a result of this program, 73 anti-doping rule violations were sanctioned, leading to the withdrawal of 31 and the reallocation of 46 Olympic medals in four sports,” reads a statement from the ITA.

The reanalysis program commissioned by the IOC started in 2004 with the Athens Olympic Games.

Based on these risk criteria, a total number of 2’727 samples were re-analysed.

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR