The athlete who has never held her Olympic medal

Sport InsightThe athlete who has never held her Olympic medalPublished1 minute agoImage source, Getty ImagesByNick HopeOlympic sports writerNearly 5,000 miles from her home, somewhere in Cameroon's capital, Madias Ngake suspects that in a drawer which is not hers, lies an Olympic medal which is.It was awarded to her seven years late, after three weightlifters who finished above her at London 2012 were disqualified for doping offences. She has never held that medal, having never returned to her homeland in the 14 years since first landing in the UK.Ngake, who is now based in Nottingham, had not planned to stay, but she had not anticipated needing to make a life-changing decision which she perceived to be her only chance of "safety and freedom" from persecution.During those Games, her sexuality became known. With homosexuality illegal in Cameroon, punishable by imprisonment, genuine "fear" for her life drove the then 20-year-old to disappear from the athletes' village."After I finished competing in 2012, staying was not easy, but I had to take a decision for my safety, for my future, because I saw I did not have a future any more in Cameroon," Ngake says."I'm a lesbian, I love women and it's not allowed in Cameroon. I had to stay here for me to have a good future, good life and not hurt myself if I decide to have a girlfriend."While she would secure sanctuary, of sorts, by avoiding a return to the African nation, her experiences over the following months were a far cry from the "glamourous" fortnight she had spent at the Olympics.With no friends, no home and no money, the following months were largely spent on the streets.Now, 14 years after London 2012, Ngake will make a remarkable return to a major multi-sport event when she competes at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games for her adopted nation, England."This moment means a lot to me," says the weightlifter, who won European bronze for G...