Lashinda Demus

Lashinda Demus was a 400 metre hurdler who had one of the longest periods of any Olympian between competing at the Olympics and receiving her gold medal. As a high schooler, Demus was named Track & Field News girls’ high school athlete of the year in 1999 and 2001, the only high schooler (through 2024) to win that title twice, but non-consecutively. Demus attended the University of South Carolina where she won an NCAA title in the indoor 400 metres in 2004, and helped the Gamecocks win the 2002 NCAA team title.

As a junior Demus won the 1999 Pan American U-20 championship in the 400 hurdles, and then won the same event at the 2002 World Junior Championships, helping the USA win the 4 x 400 m relay at that meet as well. Demus competed at the World Championships in 2005, 2009, 2011, and 2013, winning gold in the 400 hurdles in 2011 and the 4x4 relay in 2009. She also won silver in 2005 and 2009 and bronze in 2013 in the intermediate hurdles. Demus won the World Athletics Final in the 400 hurdles in both 2005 and 2006. She was world ranked in the top 10 of the 400 hurdles 10 times from 2002-13, including ranking #1 in 2006, 2010, and 2011.

Demus competed twice at the Olympic Games, failing to get past the semi-final in 2004. In 2012 she appeared to have won the gold medal in the 400 hurdles, narrowly finishing behind Russian Nataliya Antyukh. However, in December 2022 a re-test of Antyukh’s urine samples from 2012 caused her to be disqualified by the Athletics Integrity Unit, and her gold medal was rescinded by the IOC. Demus was advanced to the gold medal position and received her gold medal at a special ceremony in Champions Park on 9 August 2024 at the Paris Olympics, fully 12 years after the event had ended.

Personal Best: 400H – 52.47 (2011).