Since the first international Olympics Games in modern history, Athens 1896, more than 35,000 medals have been awarded. Over 150 of those medals have been stripped from athletes due to doping and other controversies. Here, we round up some of the biggest scandals in Olympics history, how they were uncovered, and what happened to the athletes as a result.
Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan (1994)
As the first American woman to complete a triple axel during a figure skating competition, it seemed Tonya Harding’s career could only go up. Until everything came crashing down.
Ahead of the 1994 winter Olympics, the athlete’s ex-husband, Jeff Gillooly, and her bodyguard, Shawn Eckardt, orchestrated an attack on fellow skater Nancy Kerrigan in an attempt to eliminate her as competition. Kerrigan, however, recovered and won a silver medal, while Harding finished eighth.
Later that year, Harding pleaded guilty to hindering the prosecution of the attackers and was banned for life from US figure skating.
In 2017, Australian actor Margot Robbie portrayed the competitive ice skater in the blockbuster film I, Tonya which covered the infamous scandal.
Ben Johnson’s Doping Scandal (1988)
In what is now known as “the dirtiest race in history,” Jamaican-born Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson grabbed gold in the 100-metre race at the 1988 Seoul Olympics.
It was a record time of 9.79 seconds, not to be achieved again until 11 years later. Three days later, Johnson was disqualified when he tested positive for steroids.
Stripped of his gold medal and record, the athlete was suspended until 1991. His comeback, however, would be short lived as a separate doping incident earned him a lifetime ban.
The Salt Lake City Bribery Scandal (1998)
Four years ahead of the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah, members of the International Olympic Committee (ICC) were accused of accepting $1 million in cash, gifts, and other inducements from the Salt Lake Organising Committee City (SLOC).
The scandal was uncovered through a letter addressed to a child of an IOC member which indicated that the SLOC committee was paying for their tuition.
After it was found that the committee had bribed the IOC to secure hosting rights for the games, ten IOC members resigned or were expelled. The Department of Justice filed fifteen charges of bribery and fraud, and stricter rules for the bidding process were implemented.
Russian Doping Scandal (2014 Sochi Olympics and beyond)
In 2016, whistleblower Grigory Rodchenkov – the former head of Russia’s national anti-doping laboratory – unveiled Russia’s state-sponsored doping program.
It was uncovered that the state had supplied steroids and other drugs to their athletes. Over 150 Russian competitors were caught doping and 50 medals stripped. There was even an attempt to sabotage ongoing investigations through the manipulation of computer data.
As a result, in 2019, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) banned the Russian Federation from all major sporting events for four years. This was reduced to two years following an appeal by Russia in 2020.
So, can Russia compete in the 2024 Olympics?
Well, it’s complicated. When Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, athletes from Russia and Belarus were banned from international sports. The IOC then worked to facilitate their gradual return under “strict conditions”.
As it stands, teams of athletes with a Russian or Belarusian passport aren’t allowed to compete. Individual competitors, however, can participate as neutral athletes, provided they previously proved they had not actively supported the war in Ukraine, nor had links to their countries’ military forces.
In March, the IOC projected that 36 Russians and 22 Belarusians would participate in the 2024 Paris Olympics. This compared to 330 and 104 respectively in the 2020 Tokyo games.
Chinese Gymnasts’ Age Controversy (2008)
During the 2000 Sydney Olympics, the Chinese gymnastics team won bronze. 10 years later, their medal was revoked after the International Gymnastics Federation determined that the age of gymnast Dong Fangxiao was falsified to meet the minimum requirement of 16.
In the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the Chinese gymnastics team, who won gold, faced similar allegations of age falsification. However, after investigation of documentation, the IOC and International Gymnastics Federation concluded that everything was legal.
Lance Armstrong’s Doping Scandal (2012)
Although more famous for his seven consecutive Tour de France victories, American cyclist Lance Armstrong won a bronze medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
An investigation by the US Anti-Doping Agency later revealed he had used banned performance-enhancing drugs throughout his career.
As a result, the athlete was stripped of his Olympic bronze medal and Tour de France titles, and banned for life from competitive cycling.
Armstrong broke his silence on the scandal during a 2013 interview with Oprah Winfrey, claiming he doped to remain competitive as other athletes were doing the same.
“The definition of ‘cheat’ is to gain an advantage on a rival or foe that they don’t have,” he said at the time. “I didn’t view it that way. I viewed it as a level playing field.”
