It seems that even though there is a monumental risk that they are going to get caught, athletes still “chance their arm” when it comes to taking illegal performance enhancing substances when competing in the Olympics. With the London 2012 Olympic Games well under way, it took just 4 days for the accusations of Doping to begin after the Chinese swimmer, Ye Shiwen, smashed not only her own PB by 5 seconds, but also beat the male competitor over the same distance by 1 second! This is an amazing feat and immediately raised the question of doping. However, the good news is, that it looks like the young 16 year old swimmer from the Peoples Republic of China is clean and in my book should be congratulated on and amazing performance.
In this list, we will look at some athletes that broke some amazing records only to be charged with doping and eventually stripped of their medals.
Get ready for the starters pistol… On your marks, get set…… Go!
10. Knud Enemark Jensen (Rome 1960) Cyclist
We will begin with one of the earliest reported cases of doping in an Olypiad. In Rome in 1960, Danish Cyclist Knud Jensen was taking part in then 100mile road race when he collapsed and fell to the side of the road, fracturing his skull. He was later pronounced dead upon his arrival at hospital. It was believed that he had taken amphetamines and Roniacol. However, although he had taken these substances, a report by three physicians who had carried out the autopsy, determined that it was actually a heat wave that caused him to collapse and not the drugs found inside his body.
His death was a real turning point in Olympic history and actually led the IOC (International Olympic Committee) to form a medical commission which meant drug testing would be involved in some form or another from the 1968 Winter Olympics in France and the Summer Olympics in Mexico.
9. Hans-Gunnar Liljlenwall (Mexico City – 1968) Pentathlete
Propping up 9th place we have the Swedish Pentathlete, Mr. Liljlenwall. As a direct result of our No.10 entry, Liljlenwall was subject to drugs testing and unfortunately tested positive. His drug of choice? Ready?…… Alcohol!
Lijlenwall admitted to having 2 beers before the Pistol Shooting portion of the pentathlon in order to calm his nerves.
Not only does Lijlenwall hold the record for being the first Olympian to be disqualified for doping offences but also made sure that Sweden were the first country to have to give back a medal (Bronze) at an Olympics.
8. Konstantinos Kenteris and Ekaterini Thanou (Athens -2004) Track and field
A strange one at number 8 for many reasons. Primarily, because the two Greek sprinters didn’t actually compete in the Athens Games in 2004, they pulled out just before. Secondly they didn’t actually fail a drugs test. Before Athens 2004, Kenteris held the title of being the first White male to win the 200meters since Pietro Mennea won in The 1980’s Moscow games.
The story begins on the eve of the 2004 games when Kenteris and his training partner, Thanou missed a drugs test. The pair claimed that the reason they missed it was because of a motorcycle accident they were both involved in. However, an investigation would later find that the accident was staged. They both withdrew from the games after a hearing with the IOC Disciplinary Commission, stating that they were doing it “in the interests of the country”.
7. Rashid Ramzi (Beijing 2008) – 1500m
Falling in at a lowly number 7 we have Rashid Ramzi of Bahrain. Ramzi won Gold in the 1500m at the Beijing Olympics in 2008. This was not only his first medal, but also the first medal that Bahrain had ever won at an Olympics. However, this record was not to stand for too long as Ramzi tested positive for the advanced version of the Red blood cell boosting drug, EPO.
Ramzi was subsequently banned from competing for 2 years. Since the event, Ramzi has not been able to achieve anywhere near his past best. Even though he was stripped of his Olympic Gold, he still hold 2 Golds and a Silver from the World Championships and a Gold and Bronze from the Asian Games.
6. Linford Christie OBE (Seoul 1988) – 4x100m relay
This wouldn’t be an Olympic list without mentioning a participant from the Current hosts. London born, Christie was awarded a 2 year ban for taking a performance enhancing drug during the 1988 Seoul Olympics. Christie actually withdrew from the games immediately after the event to avoid any publicity surrounding the test. Since the incident Chistie has staunchly denied any wrong doing. He went on to Win a Gold medal in the 100m at the 1992 games in Barcelona along with a plethora of other medals in various championships. He was also the first man in history to hold the Olympic, European, World and Commonwealth titles at the same time.
5. Adrian Annus (Athens 2004) – Hammer
In at a respectable 5th place, we have the Hungarian Hammer Thrower, Adrian Annus.
Annus, was tipped to take the Gold at the 2004 games in Athens, which he did. However, he was stripped of the medal 3 days later, after it was reported that his urine samples taken before and after the event, seemed to have come from different sources. The IOC also tried to take another sample after the competition, but Annus refused.
It was never made clear how Annus could have actually provided two different samples, but one strange theory did involve the use of a fake penis!
It took nearly a year for Annus to actually give back his Gold medal. It wasn’t until the IOC began to threaten Hungary with sanctions that he eventually relented.
Following the ban, Annus, didn’t start competing again until 2007 and has had little to no success since. This is just another sad “fall from grace” tale of an athlete who had, prior to the Olympics, won a Gold at the European Championships and been voted as Hungarian Sportsman of the year.
4. Ludger Beerbaum (2004 Athens) – Show Jumping
Just missing out on a podium finish on our list, we have a controversial entry. Ludger Beerbaum is a German Show Jumper and considered to be the best in the world. During the 2004 Games in Athens, Beerbaum and his Horse managed to finish with only 4 penalty points, which enabled him and his German team mates to take Gold. However, it isn’t just humans that are tested for banned substances. Beerbaums horse, Goldfever tested positive for banned substance Betamethasone.
It is understood that the substance was found in an ointment used to treat a skin condition and the Fédération Équestre Internationale (FEI) even ruled that it would have had no performance enhancing aspects. However, rules are rules and on this occasion, the German team were unfortunately stripped of their Gold medal
3. Ben Johnson (1988 – Seoul) 100m
Coming in a respectable 3rd and claiming the Bronze Medal is Canadian Sprinter Ben Johnson. During a controversial BBC interview following Johnson’s 100m win in the Rome World Championships, fellow competitor Carl Lewis stated: “There are gold medallists at this meet who are on drugs, that [100 metres] race will be looked at for many years, for more reasons than one”. Johnson retaliated by saying: “When Carl Lewis was winning everything, I never said a word against him. And when the next guy comes along and beats me, I won’t complain about that either”.
This was to be the beginning of the end of Johnson. After competing and beating Lewis in the Olympic 100m final in Seoul ’88 and setting a world record of 9.79, Johnson tested positive for banned substances and later admitted to using steroids since 1981. This led to Johnson not only being stripped of his Olympic title and World Record, but also his World Championship Gold.
Johnson went from earning nearly $500,000 dollars a month in sponsorship and media appearances after the 1987 Rome World Championships, to spending most of the 90’s living in the downstairs portion of a house that his mother owned. More can be found out about Johnson in his self-published autobiography, Seoul to Soul.
2. Kim Jong-su (Beijing 2008) – 50 meter Pistol and 10 meter Air Pistol
Taking Silver place is North Korean Sport Shooter Kim Jong-su. Now if you are reading this in North Korea (which you probably aren’t), but just in case you are (even though you definitely aren’t), then this isn’t just another entry on a Top 10 list. This happens to be BREAKING NEWS!!!
Unfortunately, Kim Jong-su tested positive for Propranolol 3 days after winning Silver and Bronze in the aforementioned pistol events. Propranolol is a beta blocker that is mainly used for hypertension, but also reduces trembling, which of course is key in an event that requires such precision. Even though the world media reported on the stripping of Kim’s medals, the North Korean media decided to do nothing of the sort. On the day that he officially had his medals revoked, the Korean Central news Agency reported simply that: “Kim Jong Su placed second in the men’s 50 metre free pistol and third in the men’s 10 meter air pistol”.
1. Marion Jones (Sydney 2000) Track and Field
Sat at the top of the podium is one of the more recent, highly publicised cases of Doping. This case is special for a few reasons, not least because it wasn’t until 2007 that Marion Jones admitted to the use of illegal substances! A mere 7 frickin years after she actually won her medals!
To go in to the entirety of this case would lead to another list (maybe the Top 10 reasons for the downfall of Marion Jones) so instead we will keep it brief.
Jones was heavily involved in the BALCO (Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative) investigation. This investigation involved 20 other top Athletes, including former world champion and father of Marion’s Son, Tim Montgomery and her former partner and fellow Olympian CJ Hunter. The case began when Victor Conte, founder of BALCO, stated during an interview with British Journalist, Martin Bashir, that he had provided Jones with the banned substance EPO on a number of occasions before and after the Sydney Olympics.
Jones was brought before a court and denied that she had ever taken a performance enhancing drug. However, following a test for the banned substance EPO in 2006, Jones held a press conference and admitted to taking the steroids before and after the Sydney Olympics. This of course led to Jones being charged and convicted of perjury along with her being stripped of her Olympic medals and any subsequent medals won in competitive competitions.
Jones retired from Track and Field in 2007 and after formally admitting before a court that she lied during the BALCO investigation, was sentenced to 6 months in prison.
In her prime, Jones was one of the first female millionaire athletes, reportedly earning between $70,000 to $80,00 per race as well as $1m sports endorsements. A sad fall from Grace and in Jones’s own words: “i stand before you and tell you that I betrayed your trust…you have a right to be abgry with me… I have let my country down and I have let myself down”.
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