Shelby Houlihan, former US Olympic runner, back on podium 4 years after tainted burrito controversy led to ban

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Shelby Houlihan, an American Olympic runner who competed at the 2016 Rio Games and later faced a hotly debated four-year ban, was back on the podium on Saturday.

Houlihan won a silver medal at the World Indoor Championships in the 3,000-meter event in Nanjing, China. She was unable to compete in the Tokyo Olympics and the Paris Olympics because she tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug. Houlihan claimed at the time the positive test was a result of a tainted pork burrito she bought from a Mexican food truck.

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Shelby Houlihan, of the United States, competes in the women's 3000 meters final at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Nanjing, China, on Saturday, March 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin)

"It’s been a long journey," she told Let’s Run. "I'm excited for today and now, but also kind of grieving the past a bit. It’s just been a real tough journey."

Houlihan is the U.S. record holder at 1,500 meters and the former record holder in the 5,000-meter event. Her 2021 appeal of her ban was moved to the Court of Arbitration for Sport but was ultimately rejected.

However, the case kicked off a debate in the sport and anti-doping world as the elements were similar to other "no fault" cases that resulted in little or no penalty. 

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Shelby Houlihan, right, and Nikki Hiltz lead the women's 3,000m during the USATF Indoor Championships at Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex in Staten Island, New York, on Feb. 22, 2025. (Kirby Lee-Imagn Images)

Houlihan’s punishment ultimately cost her a trip to Paris