spear thrower Maria Abakumova said she never returned the silver medal from the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, despite having to do so due to a doping disqualification.
In September 2016, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) stripped Abakumova of her medal after rechecking doping samples from the 2008 and 2012 Games. In 2018, following doping control results from the 2008 Olympics and the 2011 World Cup, Abakumova was disqualified for four years (the period was counted from 2016) for violating anti-doping rules. All of his results from August 2008 to August 2012 have been voided.
Did you return the medal?
No, she didn’t. If I officially returned to the big sport, I would have to return all the money and the medal. If I came back, I would come back. It is necessary for me to compete. But. I searched, analyzed, even found sponsors, money – millions were to be returned there. I would come back, find the money, prove it, and leave—but to whom and what? What’s going on in the world now, everyone’s watching TV – the same thing happened to us. What did they do? Here is a person who is equal, children watch. And suddenly you become an outcast. They denigrated our entire sports elite. Athletes have been caught and denigrated.
I have already let go of the situation. There are people who still say nasty things, like, “How do you train with her? She’s here with you…”. And he doesn’t take me anymore, let them bite. It doesn’t hurt anymore. I’m fine. didn’t cheat. I served my disqualification. I fought, I paid a lot of money for the courts, because I don’t agree with what happened. It’s not not fair to take all the medals. How come – to deprive the whole team of medals for 2008? Not a single medal left. Not only have they been taken away from me, but the medals have been taken away from the whole team! Could it be? This is just ridiculous. How?!— quotes Abakumov from the Notebook edition .
Source : MatchTV
