Gold medalist Adam Nelson to compete at Olympic Trials at 40

Adam Nelson received his gold medal from the 2008 Olympics in the food court of Atlanta's airport.

Get breaking news and SI’s biggest stories instantly. Download the new Sports Illustrated app (iOS or Android) and personalize your experience by following your favorite teams and SI writers.

Adam Nelson, the 2004 Olympic shot put champion, plans to compete at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials at 40 years old, according to ESPN's Bonnie Ford.

Nelson has not competed since 2012, when he failed to meet the qualifying standard for that year's trials. He first mentioned his training and comeback to SI's Tim Layden last summer.

In 2013, he finally received his Olympic gold medal at a food court in the Atlanta airport after Ukraine’s Yuriy Bilonog was stripped of his gold medal for a positive doping test in the re-examination of doping samples.

Nelson was honored at the 2013 U.S. Outdoor Track and Field Championships with a victory lap around Drake Stadium in Des Moines, Iowa.

Nelson is also the 2005 world championship gold medalist. 

• 100 storylines and athletes to watch at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro

He made his return to competition last month as he threw 20.48 meters at a meet in Athens, GA. The mark is just under the USATF trials qualifier of 20.50 meters. He ranks ninth among Americans but can make the trials due to his ranking and USATF's field size.

- Chris Chavez