Stricken by the doping misconducts of her competitors, Shannon Rowbury is now poised to obtain a bronze medal – a twelve-year wait since her initial race.
Part of her was elated and invigorated to participate in the final round of a second international sports competition, and the thunderous roar of the crowd was like nothing she had experienced before – so intense that it felt like the earth was vibrating within the London Arena.
Rowbury labels it as "the most intense out-of-body experience I've had in my entire life," the noise growing louder as she and her fellow competitors drew near the finish line.
However, despite the captivating show, the event also bore a sinister secret, a layer of corruption brought on by numerous doping transgressions that would come to light later. Today, the women's 1,500-meter finale at the 2012 London Olympics is considered one of the most corrupt races in the history of track and field athletics.
women's 1,500m initial results (London 2012)
- Aslı Çakır Alptekin - Disqualified
- Gamze Bulut - Disqualified
- Maryam Yusuf Jama
- Tatyana Tomashova - Disqualified pending
- Abeba Aregawi
- Shannon Rowbury
- Natallia Kareiva - Disqualified
- Lucia Klocová
- Ekaterina Kostetskaya - Disqualified
- Lisa Dobriskey
- Laura Weightman
- Hellen Obiri
- Morgan Uceny - DNF
Of the 13 athletes competing, five are slated to have their results revoked due to doping infractions. This includes Aslı Çakır Alptekin and Gamze Bulut, the two Turkish runners who placed first and second, and most recently, Russian Tatyana Tomashova, who was upgraded to second place after initially finishing fourth.
This is why Rowbury harbors mixed emotions about the race; only now, more than a decade later, can she begin to view the experience in a more favorable light.
The unexpected bronze medal award
Recently, the International Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) handed Tomashova a 10-year doping ban after samples she provided in June and July 2012 tested positive for anabolic steroids – despite her claiming during trial that she had never used prohibited substances.
Tomashova's results between June 2012 and January 2015 are also set to be disqualified, and she has until October 3 to lodge an appeal. CNN has reached out to Tomashova's legal team for additional comment.
With an initial sixth-place finish at the Olympics, Rowbury now stands to receive the bronze medal – more than 12 years later. Should this occur, it would make her the first American woman to win a 1,500m track medal at the Olympics, even if that recognition arrives a decade late.
Upon reading the CAS statement, Rowbury states that she "just started shaking," then broke down into tears in her husband's arms – a release of 12 years of pain and an accomplishment she had longed for.
“Athletes in our situation are usually left in the dark,” she tells CNN Sport. “It’s incredibly emotional because you hope that, after this thing you’ve suspected for so long, justice might finally be served ... After 12 years, I had given up hope that it would ever happen.”
‘The most devastating aspect’
Rowbury's athletic career came to an end in 2018, around the time she became pregnant with her daughter. She competed in five world championships, winning bronze in the 1,500m in 2009, and at three Olympics: Beijing 2008, London 2012, and Rio 2016.
Of all the challenges she faced in her career, it was the belief that some of her rivals were doping that troubled her the most.
“I couldn’t reconcile it,” says Rowbury. “I haven’t cried much, but there have been a few moments that have really hit a nerve … It was the most heartbreaking aspect.
“It’s been the most devastating part,” she adds. “Doping in sports … In these races, it isn’t just physical – it’s about giving your all, your heart, your soul. I’m giving everything I have to bring home results that will make everyone proud.”
The amount of energy she devoted to her career, coupled with the fact that some of her fellow competitors were doping, made professional running a challenging space for Rowbury to navigate.
After retiring, she says that she couldn’t even watch the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, such was her sense of disillusionment with the sport. She worked as an analyst for NBC during this year’s Games in Paris but was still plagued by a lingering sense of disappointment.
“It was a bittersweet experience because I watched these races and was delighted that it seemed like it was a cleaner slate,” says Rowbury. “But I was also heartbroken once more that I arrived a decade too early to be a part of that.”
The 40-year-old is not alone in her plight. Her US teammate, Alysia Montaño, also found out this year that, having originally placed fifth in the 800m, she is now set to receive a bronze medal from the London Olympics due to doping violations by her rivals.
Rowbury gets quite emotional thinking about how her career path could have been different if she'd been awarded an Olympic medal back then. She would have likely earned more money and gotten more endorsement deals as a result. She shared this sentiment with CNN, saying, "I ain't got the energy to delve into it just yet, but I never wanted to come off as bitter or jaded, so I just kind of swept it under the rug. Now, I'm grateful for the chance to revisit and discuss it in a positive light."
Looking forward, Rowbury has considered the possibility of receiving her bronze medal at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, with her family and friends there to witness the moment. "There's a part of me that thinks that would be a sick awesome way to wrap up this wild journey," she says.
There are more running goals in her future, too. Rowbury is set to run her first marathon in New York on November 3, and training for this event has helped her reevaluate her relationship with the sport.
As a former full-time athlete, she admits that she had "cut out all the fun" by the end of her professional career. But now, she's discovering new ways to enjoy the sport, like using runs as a chance to clear her head, connect with her body, and connect with the local running community. "It's been a real healing process," she says.
Rowbury's potential bronze medal in the women's 1,500m event at the 2012 London Olympics, resulting from doping infractions by other athletes, highlights the impact of corruption in sports. The sport of athletics, particularly long-distance running, can be challenging due to the presence of doping, making it difficult for clean athletes like Rowbury to navigate the competitive landscape.
