How the Wait for Olympic Medals Became an Endurance Sport

Lashinda Demus, center left, at the 2012 London Olympics. She finished second to Natalya Antyukh of Russia, who was later disqualified for doping. Twelve years later, Demus has yet to receive her gold medal.It took Lashinda Demus of the United States 52.77 seconds to run the women’s 400-meter hurdles at the 2012 London Olympics. It took more than a decade for her to be upgraded to first place from second. A year after that decision, and 12 years after the race, she is still waiting to receive her gold medal.

One of her American teammates, Erik Kynard Jr., competed in the high jump at the London Games. Like Demus, he was beaten by a Russian athlete later found guilty of doping. And like…