Olympic Runner Selling Historic Medal to Support Family After Doping Ban
After receiving a three-year ban from the Athletics Integrity Unit for a positive drug test, Botswana track star Nijel Amos will be selling the country’s first ever Olympic medal that he earned at the 2012 Olympics, according to a report from CBS Sports.
Amos, who earned a silver medal in the 800-meter event in London in 2012, is selling the medal to help support his family following the ban.
Amos earned the three-year ban on May 3 after signing an admission for taking a drug that alters how the body metabolizes fat. By signing the admission, Amos’s ban was dropped from four years to three.
“Given the circumstances surrounding the case, my legal team and I saw it fit to that that direction so that I get a reduction on my ban,” he said Tuesday after signing the admission. “At this time, my only investment or pension is the famous 2012 Olympic silver medal. I am in touch with different stakeholders, including financial advisors, on how that can sustain me and my family.”
Amos added that the medal is expected to be valued at 4.5 million Botswana pulas, which equates to nearly $340,000 American dollars. The value of the medal could climb to 7.5 million pulas after his upcoming documentary with Netflix is released, Amos said.
Amos has no plans to retire, and plans to continue his track career once his ban ends in the summer of 2025.