Kara Goucher finally has her silver medal.
A decade after earning 10,000-meter bronze at the 2007 World Championships in Osaka, Japan, Goucher was in London - site of the current world meet - on Saturday to receive her upgrade. The switcheroo came about via a positive doping test by original silver medalist Elvan Abeylegesse of Turkey.
That test result was announced by the International Association of Athletics Federation in 2015, following another round of urine-sample testing for an event eight years prior.
Goucher, the Duluth East graduate, promptly gave her bronze to Great Britain's Jo Pavey during Saturday's reallocation of medals.
It was a long time coming for the 39-year-old Goucher.
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"I remembered (the race) very fondly, until I found out that I should have won silver," the two-time Olympian said in an emotional interview with USA Track and Field on Saturday. "And then it kind of became a painful memory. So I'm just happy to close that chapter. These are happy tears, and it's like, let's just close this chapter and move on."
Goucher flew to London with husband Adam and their son, Colt. She told USATF that her bronze medal had been "just in the closet" at their Boulder, Colo., home. She has bigger plans for the silver.
"I think we'll display this one," Goucher said.
