It may have taken seven years, but Dylan Armstrong finally has his Olympic bronze medal.
The 34-year-old from Kamloops, British Columbia was given his bronze in shot put today for the 2008 Beijing Games.
He celebrated the moment in his hometown, in front of about 700 people at the fieldhouse where he trains.
“It was a bit of a heart-breaker to come that close,” he said before the ceremony, “but I was extremely happy with how my performance played out.”
WATCH: Armstrong spoke to BC1 on Friday
Armstrong originally finished fourth in 2008, just one centimetre behind bronze medalist Andrei Mikhnevich. But Mikhnevich was given a lifetime ban for doping in 2013 and stripped of his medals, paving the way for Armstrong to retroactively be named a medalist.
“You never know, and I always kept my hopes high,” he said. “It doesn’t pay to cheat, and I’m extremely happy to be upgraded to a bronze.”
For Armstrong, the chance to make the moment official in front of all his friends and family made it that much sweeter.
“I’m happy to have it back in Canada, where it really belongs,” Armstrong said, as he stood on the podium.
– With files from The Canadian Press