Corunna’s Derek Drouin was in Paris Friday to officially receive his upgraded silver medal from the London 2012 Olympic Games.
Drouin had finished in a three-way tie for bronze in the high jump in his Olympic debut in 2012 after clearing 2.29 metres.
But the International Olympic Committee announced in 2021 the Corunna native and 2016 Rio gold medalist would have his bronze medal from the London Games upgraded to silver, after Ivan Ukhov of Russia was disqualified and stripped of his gold medal for a doping violation.
“While this is certainly not the way any athlete dreams of receiving an Olympic medal, long-awaited reallocations like this display the continuous fight our governing bodies are undertaking to ensure the Olympic arena is a fair and honest environment,” Drouin stated. “I consider this a step in the right direction to ensuring a future where fewer athletes who dope squeeze through the cracks so that moments don’t continue to be stolen from deserving athletes."
Drouin went on to win gold at Rio 2016, becoming Canada’s first Olympic champion in an athletics field event since Duncan McNaughton won the high jump at Los Angeles 1932.
On Friday, Drouin was joined on stage by American Erik Kynard — whose silver was upgraded to gold — for the ceremony, held at the Champions Park in the Trocadéro Gardens, at the foot of the Eiffel Tower.
“I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to stand on the podium in London, as it is a moment in my career that I will never forget,” he added. “However, I’m pained for the athletes who have been denied the opportunity to listen to their own national anthem while standing atop the podium.
“It’s a pleasure to be here, in Paris, with Team Canada,” he added. “I am excited to celebrate the incredible current athletes as they live out their own Olympic journeys while getting the chance to relive part of my own. I am grateful that the IOC has created this opportunity for athletes affected by doping in sport.”