28 years later, Brits get relay gold from DQ'd U.S.

LONDON -- Britain's men's 4x400-meter relay squad was presented with the golden medal from the 1997 satellite championships astatine London's Diamond League gathering Saturday, having been elevated from metallic aft the belated disqualification of the U.S. team.

The U.S. was stripped of the rubric won successful Athens erstwhile Antonio Pettigrew confessed successful 2008 to doping betwixt 1997 and 2003. The U.S besides mislaid its 2000 Olympic title.

A lengthy process of investigation, entreaty and reallocation followed, culminating successful Saturday's presumption by World Athletics president Seb Coe to Roger Black, Iwan Thomas, Jamie Baulch, Mark Richardson and Mark Hylton (who ran successful the heats).

The erstwhile athletes were giving a rousing invited by the sellout assemblage of 60,000, which stood for a precise belated nationalist anthem.

"We're arrogant to beryllium capable to springiness these athletes their infinitesimal successful beforehand of a location crowd," said Cherry Alexander, UK Athletics' strategical pb for large events. "It's a accidental to admit not conscionable their talent, but the values they stood for. This medal means adjacent much due to the fact that of however agelong they've waited for it."

Pettigrew was recovered dormant astatine the property of 42 successful 2010 successful his locked car successful the United States, with an autopsy study saying helium died by termination aft an overdose.