British steeplechaser Archer hails special silver after medal upgrade
BySportsbeat
Published 21/08/2018 at 09:35 GMT
British steeplechaser Hatti Archer believes the truth will always come out after finally receiving her silver medal for the 2010 European Championships in Barcelona.
Eurosport
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Archer, who formerly competed as Hatti Dean, originally came fourth in the race but was promoted to bronze in 2015 after Spanish runner-up Marta Dominguez was found guilty of doping.
She was then upgraded to a silver medal last year after Russia's Lyubov Kharlamova, who finished third at the time, was disqualified for doping offences.
Despite being denied her moment in the spotlight eight years ago, Archer said it was still special to receive her medal at the Grand Prix Birmingham meeting at Alexander Stadium on Saturday.
"It means absolutely loads," she said. "I feel so happy to have received the medal in Birmingham in front of my family, friends and coach and it's just been so special.
"I think it would have changed my career as having the confidence of a medal and the confidence that you're good enough to get a medal means you're not always striving to do more and more.
"I think that partly led to some injuries and confidence means so much in races, so to compete with that confidence would have done something for my career, so it is a real shame."
Kharlamova was one of six Russians punished for drugs offences by the country's anti-doping agency and Archer is confident that the sport is heading in the right direction.
"It's reassuring that a lot of athletes have got medals," she said. "I know it takes a long time, but the truth comes out and it's so important that athletes are given their medals in these circumstances.
"It's important that a really big deal is made of these athletes that lose out on medals but are eventually rewarded for it so hopefully it is moving in the right direction.
"It's lovely to have received it in front of my kids and for them to have witnessed that and it does represent the sport getting cleaner, so there are some positives to come out of this."
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