Adam Nelson May Yet Get That Elusive Oly Gold

[bushop]

Give it to Nelson at the Super Bowl.
Jay-Z could present it while Beyoncé sings her (shortened) version of the anthem.

[andyjgt]

It does get complicated, but I am very much of the opinion that once an athlete has had a sanction for a steroid or Class A drug, whether they have failed a test or whether it be from some other evidence, then they forfeit all their previous medals.

You mean cocaine here? I don't think cocaine takers are cheats, just idiots.

[Tuariki]

Give it to Nelson at the Super Bowl.
Jay-Z could present it while Beyoncé sings her (shortened) version of the anthem.

I think presenting it at half time of the Super Bowl would be perfect. And presented by Obama even better. Val Adams had her gold presented by the Governor General, our head of state, at a relatively small non-public gathering organised by politicians, NZIOC and Athletics NZ. All in all a pretty disappointing low key event that excluded the NZ public.
I hope the Americans take the opportunity to give Nelson the public recognition he deserves.

[26mi235]

It does get complicated, but I am very much of the opinion that once an athlete has had a sanction for a steroid or Class A drug, whether they have failed a test or whether it be from some other evidence, then they forfeit all their previous medals.

You mean cocaine here? I don't think cocaine takers are cheats, just idiots.

I thought this initially, but I think that there is some potential PEDs effect; can someone clarify?

[preston]

Why would the NFL allow it to be presented at the Super Bowl? That makes no sense. A more sensible/possible suggestion would be at the white house or in some other Government function. The only other relevant venue would be a track meet (USATF?) or Association conference. That said, if history is a guide it won't be at the WC's either. However, at least one athlete has had their Olympic medal presented by an IAAF council member.

[bushop]

Why would the NFL allow it to be presented at the Super Bowl? That makes no sense.

Sure... no way the NFL allows it... it's nice to dream.

[gh]

The NFL wouldn't allow anything like it even if involved football. Their spin doctors are far too smart—unlike track's suits—to wash dirty laundry on the day of their biggest event.

[Conor Dary]

The NFL wouldn't allow anything like it even if involved football. Their spin doctors are far too smart—unlike track's suits—to wash dirty laundry on the day of their biggest event.

Good grief, yes. The NFL wouldn't touch the subject with a ten foot pole. A topic best left unsaid.

And why airing this to a wider audience is good for the sport is bewildering. In 1989 on Sportscenter in ESPN when it was announced by Chris Berman that Barnes and Reynolds had tested positive, did Berman say, wow track and field is really on top of this drug thing. No, he said, 'track, now there is a dirty sport!' I still vividly remember watching that.

[tandfman]

Why would the NFL allow it to be presented at the Super Bowl? That makes no sense. A more sensible/possible suggestion would be at the white house or in some other Government function. The only other relevant venue would be a track meet (USATF?) or Association conference. That said, if history is a guide it won't be at the WC's either. However, at least one athlete has had their Olympic medal presented by an IAAF council member.

I would imagine quite a few have had that happen. Olympic medals are always presented at the Games by IOC members, but there are several IOC members who are also IAAF Council members, including the President of the IAAF. (Others currently include Bubka, El Moutawakel, Fredericks, and Szewinska.)

[guru]

The only other relevant venue would be a track meet (USATF?) or Association conference. That said, if history is a guide it won't be at the WC's either. However, at least one athlete has had their Olympic medal presented by an IAAF council member.

I would imagine quite a few have had that happen. Olympic medals are always presented at the Games by IOC members, but there are several IOC members who are also IAAF Council members, including the President of the IAAF. (Others currently include Bubka, El Moutawakel, Fredericks, and Szewinska.)

Hersh present Nelson with gold at 2013 USATF champs. Ceremony to happen during live network coverage.

Make it happen Max.

[j-a-m]

When the new gold medalist gets awarded his medal, do the new silver and bronze medalists get invited as well, as they should?

[Bob H]

The only other relevant venue would be a track meet (USATF?) or Association conference. That said, if history is a guide it won't be at the WC's either. However, at least one athlete has had their Olympic medal presented by an IAAF council member.

I would imagine quite a few have had that happen. Olympic medals are always presented at the Games by IOC members, but there are several IOC members who are also IAAF Council members, including the President of the IAAF. (Others currently include Bubka, El Moutawakel, Fredericks, and Szewinska.)

Hersh present Nelson with gold at 2013 USATF champs. Ceremony to happen during live network coverage.

Make it happen Max.

I like the idea of doing it at the USATF champs, but I hope that whoever makes that decision will first ask Adam Nelson where HE would like to have it presented. In any event, better protocol would be to have the medal presented by one of the US members of the IOC. At the Olympic Games, IOC members present the medals; IAAF Council members present the flowers.

[Tuariki]

The NZIOC arranged for the ANZ bank to foot the bill for the Valerie Adams medal ceremony. Evidently it cost $250,00 NZ dollars, most of which was spent on the private exclusive cocktail like function for the "luminaries". You know the "stuff the public" mentality that often reins supreme within the ruling committees of sporting bodies. The medal itself was presented by NZ's Head of State and not by an IOC member.
So, I believe it would be great for Obama to present it. Maybe at a Dartmouth basketball game, given GH is right that the NFL would never want to let TnF share the Super Bowl limelight

[gh]

The Kiwi analogy is a complete non-starter. The Adams medal was a source of monster national pride that made headlines for weeks. The Nelson thing is a bit of ho-hum so low down on the national scale of priorities that if Obama took time to do something that meaningless he'd be excoriated (and perhaps rightfully so) for dereliction of duty.

[gktrack]

Great news that Adam will be getting his Athens gold medal according to the article on T&FN's news on homepage... well deserved Adam.
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/american-adam-nelson-2004-gold-160043429--oly.html