In the shadow of one of the most scandalous races in Olympic history, justice might finally be catching up. The 2012 Olympic women’s 1500 meters in London, often dubbed ‘the dirtiest race in history,’ was riddled with scandal and deceit. Now, more than a decade later, the ripple effects of that notorious event are still shaking up the world of track & field. With doping scandals slowly being unraveled, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has taken decisive action, disqualifying several athletes and completely reshuffling the race’s final standings.

To say the 2012 race was messy would be an understatement. Five of the top ten track & field finishers, including Russia’s Tatyana Tomashova, have since been stripped of their medals due to doping violations. Tomashova, no stranger to controversy, was hit with a 10-year ban after her 2012 samples were re-tested and found positive for anabolic steroids.

This wasn’t her first rodeo—she had already served a two-year ban back in 2008 for manipulating samples. With her results from June 2012 to January 2015 now wiped from the record books, the story of the 1500 meters at the London Olympics is getting a major rewrite. Enter Shannon Rowbury, the American middle-distance runner who originally crossed the finish line in sixth place during that tainted track & field final.

Thanks to this recent shake-up, Rowbury is set to receive something she’s long deserved—a bronze medal. Yes, from sixth place to third! After years of competing cleanly against a field packed with doped-up athletes, Rowbury is finally getting the recognition she earned that day in London. This isn’t the first time the 2012 1,500-meter race has seen its results reshuffled due to doping.

US track & field star Shannon Rowbury and others finally get their hardware as doping scandals shake up the 2012 Olympic 1500m podium

The significance of this moment in track & field cannot be overstated. Shannon Rowbury, after more than a decade, is finally getting the recognition she deserves. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has the final say on reallocating medals, and there is talk that Rowbury could receive her bronze medal in a ceremony at a future World Championships or even at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. However, with Tomashova’s recent disqualification, the podium is being reshaped yet again.

The original gold and silver medalists from Turkey, Asli Cakir Alptekin and Gamze Bulut were both disqualified and banned years ago. The International Olympic Committee still has to approve the medal reallocation officially, but it’s looking like Rowbury will soon join the ranks of track & field Olympic medalists. Maryam Yusuf Jamal, an Ethiopian-born Bahraini, has been lifted to the gold medal position, while Abeba Aregawi, an Ethiopia-born Swede, is expected to be upgraded to silver. Shannon Rowbury’s career has been marked by consistency and excellence on the international stage.

A three-time Olympian, Rowbury represented the United States in 2008, 2012, and 2016, earning her place as one of the most respected middle-distance runners in the world. Her list of accomplishments is impressive: a bronze medal at the 2009 World Championships, a fourth-place finish in the 1500 meters at the 2016 Rio Olympics, and a seventh-place finish at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. But wait. There’s more!

She even broke Mary Slaney’s 32-year-old American record in the 1500 meters in 2015, clocking an incredible 3:56.29 in Monaco. At 39, Rowbury is now retired from racing and has transitioned into a career as a broadcaster, analyzing track events for NBC at the Paris Olympics. But the legacy of her track & field career is far from over.

As Shannon Rowbury finally prepares to take her rightful place on the Olympic podium, this long-overdue recognition isn’t just a personal victory—it’s a win for every athlete who has competed with integrity, perseverance, and respect for the sport. What do you think about this decision and its impact on the future of track & field? Share your thoughts in the comments below!