Appeal by disgraced Belarus shot putter set to delay Adams' medal presentation

By Duncan Mackay in London 

August 18 - Valerie Adams will turn down the chance to be presented with her London 2012 Olympic gold medal in front of a crowd watching an All Blacks rugby match and instead wants to receive it in Lausanne next week, she has said.

The New Zealander was upgraded to first position in the shot after Belarusian Nadzeya Ostapchuk, the woman who won originally, was stripped of the title following a positive test for anabolic steroids.

Adams has revealed that she would like to receive the medal at the Stade Olympique de la Pontaise in Lausanne during the Samsung Diamond League meeting on August 23.

But her hopes are set to be dashed because Ostapchuk is threatening to appeal against the decision to disqualify her because she claims she is an innocent victim.

Adams bases herself in Lausanne during the European athletics season. 

"I would like it sooner rather than later - and if I can get it before I go back home," she said.

"I'd love to do it in Lausanne where the IOC (International Olympic Committee) is based, and have it in a stadium at an athletics meet just full of people.

"And also Switzerland is sort of my second home and they've embraced this just as much as New Zealand has."

Nadzeya Ostapchuk claims she is the victim of a conspiracy and is set to appeal against the decision to strip her of the Olympic gold medal

But Ostapchuk, whose victory in London was the first time she had beaten Adams for nearly two years, is accusing a former coach of framing her.

She has claimed Belarus's former head coach Anatoly Baduyev, who was arrested by Russia's Federal Security Service in June under suspicion of embezzlement, is behind her positive test.

One accusation against Baduyev was that he extorted money from coaches and athletes by blackmailing them with the threat of positive dope tests.

"The person [Baduyev], you know who I mean, the one who was involved in blackmail, he promised me long ago: You will have problems with doping control," she said.

"Now I think his threat begins to come true, even though he no longer works with us.

"I have nothing to hide from people.

"I've spent a lot of efforts to become an Olympic champion, I do not need excuses.

"I do not want to finish a career like this.

"Athletes need to know that there is someone to rely on, from whom they can receive support and advice.

"We want to feel protected instead of waiting for meanness from those who should help us."

Valerie Adams receives her Olympic silver medal from New Zealand IOC member Barry Maister at London 2012

New Zealand IOC member Barry Maister, who presented Adams with her silver medal in the Olympic Stadium, insisted it was up to her where she finally received her award.

"Whether it's in New Zealand when she gets back, whether it's in front of an athletics event," he said.

"But clearly her views are the ones that matter in this regard, not mine or anyone else's for that matter, and knowing Val, she'll be quite clear about what she wants."

But Maister admitted that it could be a while before the matter is finally settled if Ostapchuk does launch a formal appeal.

"With the sort of weird and wonderful things that this lady [Ostapchuk] has been saying over the last week, anything's possible so they'll wait 'til that works its way through," he said.

Contact the writer of this story at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.


Related stories
August 2012: New Zealander upgraded to London 2012 gold medal wins Stockholm Diamond League
August 2012: Olympic shot put champion stripped of gold medal after testing positive for drugs