Britain’s men’s 4x400m relay team from the 1997 World Athletics Championships will finally receive their Gold medals at this weekend’s Novuna London Athletics Meet, in a special ceremony recognising their elevation from Silver following the disqualification of the USA team.
Roger Black, Iwan Thomas, Jamie Baulch, Mark Richardson and Mark Hylton (who ran in the heats) finished second in the final in Athens 27 years ago. But following an anti-doping violation by USA’s Antonio Pettigrew, the American team was later stripped of the title, and the British quartet were officially upgraded to World Champions.
World Athletics President Seb Coe will present the medals in front of a home crowd at the London Stadium, with the ceremony set to include the playing of the national anthem.
The presentation offers a long-awaited opportunity to celebrate a landmark moment in British athletics — and to honour a team who exemplified fairness, resilience and excellence on the global stage.
Cherry Alexander, UKA’s strategic lead for Major Events said: “We’re proud to be able to give these athletes their moment in front of a home crowd. It’s a chance to recognise not just their talent, but the values they stood for. This medal means even more because of how long they’ve waited for it.”