During the indoors season Barrett achieved 1.97 m in January. She qualified at the US Olympic trials by clearing 2.01 m, only surpassed by Chaunté Lowe. At the Olympic Games in London however she jumped higher than Lowe and became silver medalist, by jumping 2.03m, a new personal best. In 2016, gold medalist Anna Chicherova's 2008 drug re-test returned positive for dehydrochlormethyltestosterone (turinabol). Her 2008 bronze was rescinded, but 2012 gold was not affected.