Nearly 100 People Joined Derek Miles as He Received His Olympic Bronze Medal from 2008

By Adam Kopet, DyeStat Editor

Derek Miles only expected a few family members to join him when he received his 2008 Olympic bronze medal Monday. However, according to Scott McDonald for TeamUSA.org, nearly 100 people came to the ceremony at the University of South Dakota.

In Beijing in 2008, Miles placed fourth in the pole vault, clearing 18-8.25 (5.70m) and finishing behind Denys Yurchenko of Ukraine. In recent retests, Yurchenko's sample came back positive for a banned substance. The IAAF and IOC disqualified him and moved Miles up to bronze.

That bronze medal was finally awarded to Miles, nearly nine years after the pole vault final in Beijing. Along with members of the U.S. Olympic Committee, U.S. Senator John Thune spoke at the ceremony. Senator Thune had the honor of presenting the medal to Miles.

Miles has since retired from competition, a career that saw him ranked top 10 in the U.S. for 13 straight years and qualify for three Olympic Games. He now coaches at the University of South Dakota. Chris Nilsen, one of his athletes at USD, won the NCAA Indoor Championships in the pole vault as a true freshman.