US high jumper Erik Kynard will finally get his gold medal from the 2012 London Olympics after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) approved reallocating some results from the Games because of doping cases.
Kynard's leap of 2.33 metres placed him second in the men's high jump final in London behind Ivan Ukhov, who was proven years later to have taken part in the Russian state-backed doping program.
Ukhov had cleared 2.38m in the London final.
He was banned for four years in 2019 at the Court of Arbitration for Sport. He went back to the same court last year for an appeal hearing but failed to overturn the ruling.
The IOC executive board signed off on reallocating the medals and final results for five events from the London Olympics, including the men's and women's high jump.
With Kynard upgraded to men's gold, the three bronze medallists in 2012 — Derek Drouin (Canada), Robbie Grabarz (Great Britain) and Mutaz Essa Barshim (Qatar) — will each now get silver medals.
Barshim also tied for gold at the Tokyo Olympics in August when he and Italian Gianmarco Tamberi famously agreed to share first place.
The IOC also reallocated the bronze medal in women's high jump from a Russian athlete.
Svetlana Shkolina was disqualified for doping and Spain's Ruth Beitia will get the bronze.
Kynard's gold medal adds to the proud history the US has enjoyed in men's high jump at the Olympics.
It is the 14th gold the US has won in the men's event.
AP/ABC
