Britain Awarded 1997 Relay Gold After US Disqualified

Britain's men's 4x400m relay team were finally awarded their gold medals from the 1997 World Championships at London's Diamond League meeting, 28 years after the original race. The medals were reallocated after Antonio Pettigrew admitted to doping violations from 1997 to 2003, resulting in the US team's disqualification. The lengthy investigation and appeal process concluded with a celebratory ceremony led by World Athletics president Seb Coe, where the British athletes were honored by a sellout crowd. UK Athletics highlighted the importance of recognizing not only the athletes' talent, but also their integrity and resilience. Pettigrew's confession also led to the annulment of the US team's 2000 Olympic title; he died by suicide in 2010. The ceremony coincided with the UK government's announcement of its support for bids to host the 2029 World Athletics and World Para Athletics Championships.