PARIS — Beverly McDonald had long resigned herself to never receiving her Olympic bronze medal from the 2000 Sydney Olympics. She had come to terms with the fact that Marion Jones, who later admitted to doping, had unjustly pushed her off the podium.
As her 30s, 40s, and eventually her 50th birthday passed, the Jamaican sprinter moved on with her life. She took a job as an assistant manager at Gap in Fort Worth, Texas, and became a mother to a son, now 16 years old.
Around a decade ago, McDonald was told her long-awaited medal would be sent to Jamaica, only to later learn it had been "misplaced" by officials. "I don't know what happened," she said.
But on Friday afternoon, at the age of 54, McDonald finally had her long-overdue podium moment and received her coveted 200-meter bronze medal.
In a unique event, she was one of 10 athletes awarded reallocated Olympic medals by the International Olympic Committee, most of them being upgraded or newly awarded because the original medalists had been caught doping.
The 10 athletes had competed in various sports across three different Olympic Games. Yet none had waited as long as McDonald—nearly 24 years, spanning parts of three decades.
"It's a bittersweet moment," she remarked. "I thought I wouldn't be nervous, but once I went out there and saw the crowd, it was really amazing."
American high jumper Erik Kynard, whose 2012 silver medal was upgraded to gold, likened the experience to telling a joke and having the world only now start to get it 12 years later.
Kynard explained that the ceremony took place during the 2024 Paris Games, with the Eiffel Tower as a backdrop, thanks to the efforts of retired American sprinter Lashinda Demus. She had led a push to add Paris as a location where athletes could receive reallocated medals.
The IOC awards reallocated medals on a case-by-case basis, offering athletes dignified settings like the organization's headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, or ceremonies hosted by their national Olympic committees.
However, many ceremonies had become more logistical than celebratory; Adam Nelson famously received his reallocated shot put gold medal outside a Burger King.
Demus, who finished second in the 400-meter hurdles at the 2012 London Olympics behind Russia's Natalya Antyukh, who was later disqualified for doping, helped secure the Paris Olympics as a venue option with a cheering crowd.
"It was just pride. I think it was closure. Being celebrated," Demus said of Friday's ceremony. "The crowd was great, and they made us feel as close as possible to the real situation. I appreciate them for that."
Demus was joined by her mother, father, four sons, a niece, and two cousins in Paris. She even took a moment to hug her college coach during an interview.
For McDonald, the silver lining of the 24-year delay was that her son, 16-year-old Justin, could share the moment with her. Like his parents, he is a sprinter on his high school track team in Texas. McDonald credited her husband, Raymond Stewart, with advocating for her to receive the reallocated medal.
"It’s a different moment," McDonald said. "You’re not with the top three athletes—silver, gold medal. Here, it’s just you, by yourself, getting a medal. So it felt a little different, but it’s still a great feeling."
The medal she received wasn’t just any leftover; it was the exact design, size, and style given at the 2000 Olympics. It might even be the very medal originally awarded to another athlete. The IOC stated that it makes "every effort to retrieve the original medals from disqualified athletes" before using reserve supplies from each Games.
The athletes who accepted reallocated medals on Friday weren’t certain where theirs came from, but some returned their old medals. Canadian high jumper Derek Drouin, for example, handed over his bronze medal to the Canadian Olympic Committee. Demus sent hers back as well.
"I think I actually put it in a hefty ziplock bag or something and just put it in an overnight envelope and sent it off," Kynard said. "I didn’t even insure tracking. Maybe they got it, maybe they didn’t, I don’t know."
For every athlete, the delay came at a cost. Demus noted that she was favored to win gold in 2012 and believes she lost out on "millions" in endorsements and sponsorships. Kynard hopes that ceremonies like Friday’s will become more common in the future.
McDonald, who also won relay medals with Jamaica in 2000 and 2004, expressed gratitude to the IOC for making this event possible. She and her son were also able to catch a few races at Stade de France during their visit. However, she still mourns the moment she missed.
“2000 was the best year that I ever competed," she reflected. "I really thought I was going to get a medal. But hey, I got one now."
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