Ben Johnson beat fierce rival Carl Lewis in the 100m sprint race in the 1988 Seoul Olympics but he was later found to have failed a drug test.
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Imagine what a race this would have been. Four sprinters in the 100m race recorded times of under 10 seconds. This was in 1988 at the Seoul Olympics. Carl Lewis of the USA was the top sprinter at that time. But, there was a fierce rival who had wanted to snatch the throne away from Lewis. He was Jamaican-born and had made athletics fashionable even before Usain Bolt had shattered the world records in all the events. Ben Johnson, who emigrated to Canada in 1976, made an early career in running.
Johnson had already made the world turn with his brilliant bronze medal in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. But, it was during the mad race at Seoul that saw his name etched in folklore. It was the race that saw him finally get one over Carl Lewis. But, little did anyone know that from the highs of the gold which Johnson stated would not be ‘broken for 50 years’, he would suffer the humiliation of a dope scandal that saw him banned for life.
Johnson had built up a fever-pitch rivalry with Lewis. In the 1987 World Championship in Rome, he outclassed Lewis with a new world record timing of 9.83 seconds. But, it was in the same event that Lewis had raised questions on Johnson’s doping. That fueled the rivalry with tremendous intensity. Before the Olympics, Lewis upped the rivalry quotient by winning in Paris and Zurich. In that time, he stated he will ‘never again lose to Johnson.’
But, in the race in Seoul, everything went in Johnson’s favor. The race featured greats like Lewis, Calvin Smith, and Linford Christie. But, when the gun went, Johnson leapt into a supersonic lead that saw many of the competitors fall back. Christie, Smith and Lewis all exchanged places but Johnson won the gold medal with a world record time of 9.79 seconds. For all the previous achievements, Johnson had finally put one over his bitter rival in an event that mattered the most.
The adulation and appreciation for Johnson were immense. But, 24 hours later, it was soon revealed that the race was marred by a massive doping problem, all centered around Johnson.
In the press conference, Johnson eulogized his triumph in a way that would have made social media explode with memes and praise. But, 24 hours later, it would lead to a disgraceful turn of events. Johnson was found to have failed a drugs test. Traces of the banned steroid stanozolol were found in his urine sample. Johnson had to return the medal back. The controversy did not end there. Six out of the eight finalists had failed drug tests or were implicated in further drug abuse in their careers. One of them was also Lewis.
Calvin Smith and Robson Da Silva were clean throughout their careers. Lewis had tested positive at the Olympic Trials for pseudoephedrine, ephedrine, and phenylpropanolamine. The American defended himself, claiming that he had accidentally consumed the banned substances. After the supplements that he had taken were analyzed to prove his claims, the USOC accepted his claim of inadvertent use. The highest level of the stimulants Lewis recorded was 6 ppm, which was regarded as a positive test in 1988 but is now regarded as a negative test.
Christie was found to have metabolites of pseudoephedrine in his urine after a 200m heat at the same Olympics but was later cleared of any wrongdoing. The fallout of the Seoul doping controversy saw the Canadian Government institute the Dubin Inquiry into drug abuse. After 91 days, the revelation by his coach Charlie Francis that Johnson was on steroids since 1981 sealed his fate.
After the end of the Dubin Inquiry, Johnson did attempt a comeback in 1991. He did not qualify for the World Championships that year but still made it to the Canadian team in 1992 Barcelona. He missed the 100 meter finals at the Olympics, however, finishing last in his semi-final heat after stumbling out of the blocks.
But, tragedy struck again in 1993. Johnson won the 50 meters on January 7 in Grenoble, France, in 5.65 seconds, just 0.04 seconds shy of the world record. However, he was again found guilty of doping just after the race. This time, there were excessive testosterone levels in his body. He was subsequently banned for life by the IAAF.
After being banned by the IAAF, Johnson now struggled for life beyond athletics. In 1999, Johnson was hired by Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi to act as a football coach for his son, Al-Saadi Gaddafi. Al-Saadi aspired to join an Italian football club. He ultimately did join an Italian team but was sacked after one game when he failed a drug test.
How does one view Johnson’s legacy? A cheat, pariah or someone who just went in the flow at that time? Doping was rampant in athletics during the 80s, which is why the credibility of the sport was at an all-time low at that time. Johnson was only part of the system to ensure he became the best. But, when he got caught, everything erupted in a sad way. The legacy of 1988 will forever be tarnished because of Johnson’s failed dope test.
