Scottish athlete Lynsey Sharp broke down in tears of joy and anger when she heard that her European 800m silver medal has been upgraded to gold as a result of a drugs ban for the winner last summer.
Cheating Russian champion Yelena Arzhakova was found to have an abnormal haemoglobin profile in her biological passport and has therefore been prevented from competing for two years and stripped of her European win in Finland.
Reacting to the news on Tuesday, Sharp tweeted: “It makes me sick that I was denied the opportunity to do a lap of honour and stand on the top of the podium with my national anthem playing”.
Her mother Carol added: “I woke Lynsey up at 5am her time in the United States because I wanted to tell her this myself rather than her hear it elsewhere or see on the internet.
“She just broke down in floods of tears. It is nice, yes, but there is a bit of anger there at missing out on place on top of the podium to someone who has now failed drug tests.
“Who knows, it might be only chance she ever has to top a podium at a major international event like the European Championships? It may not we don’t know that yet but you do feel bitter that you have been robbed of that moment.
“One good thing is there is no European Championship this year so at least she is the champion now until they are held again in 2014. That’s a bit of a consolation.
“But who knows how long we may have to wait for the medal presentation? I know in the past sometimes it has taken a very long time and that’s not right.
“It would be good, too, if there was formal acknowledgement from European Athletics or the IAAF of the result.”
Nigel Holl, chief executive of scottishathletics wants to make sure Sharp’s gold medal presentation is “grand and fitting”.
He pointed out: “We are delighted for Lynsey that she will now recognised as a European champion from Helsinki in 2012.
“It is another boost for her career and a reward for last summer when she won the UK Champs, did so well a few days later in Finland and represented Team GB and NI at the London 2012 Olympics “You always feel more than a little sorry for athletes in these circumstances because the very nature of testing afterwards and retrospective bans means they are denied that wonderful and deserved moment of glory standing on top of the podium.
“We would love to be involved in any formal presentation of a gold medal by European Athletics and make that as grand and as fitting an occasion as possible.
“It would be good to do it with her surrounded by the family of athletics in Scotland who have helped and supported her in her development over a number of years Edinburgh AC members and coaches particularly.”