Track Coach Accepts Belated Gold Medal

Not even the beneficiary of a long-awaited Olympic gold medal and her entourage can get full credentials into the Paris Games venues.

"We will attend two track sessions. The tickets are sky high," LaShinda Demus, 41, said before she and her family left this week for the Olympics in the French capital.

Demus of Culver City's Blair Hills neighborhood will stand before the Eiffel Tower on Aug. 9 to receive her overdue accolade as the 2012 London Olympic Games 400-meter hurdles champion. Two years ago, the International Olympic Committee disqualified winner Natalya Antyukh of Russia after receiving further historical evidence of doping from a Moscow testing laboratory database.

Demus, her husband, four sons, parents, and other family members may not witness many Olympic events, but they're having a great time in the City of Lights.

"We visited the US House and are doing the local tourism things," she said, mindful that she will be occupied on Aug. 9 with the inspirational awards ceremony and press conferences.

"When the gold medal is put around my neck in Champions Park, I...will finally kiss my medal as the champion of the 400-meter hurdles race from the Olympic Games..."

Demus' mom, Yolanda, 66, was her Olympic coach in London and the only girl on the Culver City High School track team in the 1970s.

"What a thrill it is to have my mom here for this special moment, and the same with my dad who has been with me every step of the way," said Demus.

Demus has received $21,000 in donations from her GoFundMe page, "Road to Gold," to assist with family travel expenses.

"Your kindness has turned a personal achievement into a family celebration...It's a dream come true in every sense. I'm beyond excited to step onto that podium in Paris," Demus said in appreciation to her benefactors.

Demus, a two-time Olympian, is the first American woman to win the Olympic 400-meter hurdles. She won the World Title in 2011.

Demus is the Culver City High School Centaur girls' track and field coach and a Screenland 5K trainer. Two years ago, she mentored the Centaur girls' track and field team to the CIF Southern Section Division 2 track and field title.

"It's a lot of fun coaching good talent," said Demus in an interview with Steve Finley.

"I am super competitive, which makes the championship even better. I have wanted to be the fastest kid on the block since I was a little kid. I want the same things for my athletes that I was able to accomplish."

Demus advises Screenland 5K participants to stay active even before the start of complimentary race training on Oct. 27, 3 pm, at Culver High.

"It's good for your mental health. You are training that muscle daily, telling yourself, 'I can do it,' and developing that go-getter mindset," said Demus.

"Preparation is the predecessor to success. You prepare to succeed. The Screenland 5K is a great place to start," said Demus.

Show your glitz, glamour, glory & Olympic gold in the Screenland 5K, Mar. 2, 2025. Sign up at runsignup.com/race/ca/culvercity/screenland5K

DemusCIF-B--Olympic 400-Meter champion and Centaur track coach LaShinda Demus is accompanied by her CIF Southern Section champions Imaan Minwalla, Leena Powell, Morgan Maddox, and Joelle Trepagnier. Demus receives her belated gold medal on Aug. 9 before the Eiffel Tower.

DemusSplit2--Olympic Gold Medalist LaShinda Demus stretches with Screenland 5K participants. Complimentary race training sessions resume Oct. 27, 3 p.m., at Culver City High School.