K-State alum Erik Kynard is finally getting the gold medal that was stolen from him

Look up the results of the men’s high jump at the 2012 summer games in London and you will find a corrected version of Olympic history.

Erik Kynard, a former track-and-field star at Kansas State, is listed as the gold medalist with a jump of 2.33 meters, which is roughly 7 feet and 6 inches. His name towers above 17 others in the record books, including Russian Ivan Ukhov, who was disqualified from the competition after he tested positive for performance-enhancing steroids.

More than a decade ago, Kynard proved himself to be the best in the world at his sport. It was the pinnacle of his athletic career.

At least it should have been.

Sadly, it takes time for sports history to correct itself. Kynard has spent the past 12 years with a silver medal in his trophy case because Ukhov was initially crowned as champion before he was later caught cheating.

“It’s been a long time waiting, and that’s unfortunate,” former K-State track-and-field coach Cliff Rovelto said. “It’s too bad these things take so long with tests, appeals and everything else that is involved.”

Kynard will finally get his gold medal at a reallocation ceremony this month in front of the Eiffel Tower at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. That promises to be a bittersweet moment for him.

Fun as it will be for Kynard and those close to him to finally see a gold medal around his neck, the iconic award will also serve as a reminder of what was stolen from him in the first place.

“The reality is if he had come back as a gold medalist at that point in time he probably would have been a millionaire,” Rovelto said. “You miss out on a lot. There is a big difference between gold and silver. Silver is great, don’t get me wrong. But there is a big difference. The unfortunate thing is that he didn’t get to be recognized there as the gold medalist and then come back to the US. It would have been a totally different experience.”

Kynard did not respond to messages seeking comment for this story.

To be fair, Kynard did enjoy a heroic welcome when he returned from London with a silver medal. He was still a K-State student at the time, and he instantly became viewed as royalty on campus. He also appeared on “The Late Show with David Letterman” and went on to be selected for the Hall of Fame in the Sunflower State.

Still, it’s hard not to wonder how much bigger and better things could have been for him. What made things truly frustrating was there was a strong suspicion from athletes at the time that some Russian athletes were guilty of doping.

“No one was surprised,” Rovelto said.

Rovelto, who specializes in the high jump, was there in London helping Kynard every step of the way. What he remembers most about the competition was the weather. Heavy rain fell on the athletes, and Kynard was one of the few competitors who didn’t let the conditions bother him.

Kynard pushed Ukhov to the end and even had a shot to win on his final attempt. He failed to clear the bar, but no one could have asked for more from the then college athlete.

“He did a great job competing under the circumstances,” Rovelto said. “It rained in the finals, and a lot of guys were uncomfortable with that. He handled it, obviously, pretty well. That was probably the thing that stuck out the most to me. That was only the summer after his junior year. He was young. To perform at that level, under those circumstances, was very impressive.”

Outside of the 20212 Olympics, Kynard made a name for himself by twice winning the outdoor national championship in the high jump. He finished second at the NCAA finals when he was a senior.

He is currently working for USA Track as an associate director of high performance.

Later this month, he will get to experience the thrill of winning a gold medal, albeit long after he retired as a professional athlete.

“Better late than never,” Rovelto said. “At this point, I guess that is all we can really say about Erik and his gold medal.”