Ben Johnson, the first Olympics scandal

Canadian Ben Johnson caused a sensation at the 1988 Olympics by winning the 100m in 9 sec 79, a new world record, ahead of American star Carl Lewis.

The announcement, three days later, of his positive test for stanozolol (anabolic steroid) caused a huge scandal, the very first linked to doping in the history of the Games.

Marion Jones, from Olympus to prison

American shot putter CJ Hunter is banned from the Sydney Games after testing positive for nandrolone.

His wife, Marion Jones, won five medals, including three gold (100m, 200m, 4x400m).

Seven years later, cornered by American justice, the American sprinter admits to having taken doping products made to measure by the Balco laboratory.

The IOC stripped him of all his medals.

Marion Jones has never tested positive.

But her lies led to her spending six months in prison in 2008.

Former sprint queen Marion Jones on October 5, 2007 following a hearing in White Plains District Court, New York DON EMMERT AFP/Archives

Tim Montgomery, world record holder in the 100m in 2002, is also targeted by the Balco case.

In December 2015, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) sentenced the American to a two-year suspension and withdrew his results since March 2001, including his world record (9 sec 78).

Justin Gatlin, the repeat offender

Endowed with a track record as long as his arm in the 100 m, Justin Gatlin has never managed to get rid of an image soiled by his two suspensions.

The Olympic champion (2004) and four-time world champion, who ended his career at the age of 40 on February 11, was first banned in 2001 for a positive amphetamine test before being caught by anti-doping in 2006 for excessive levels of testosterone.

In 2001, he had pleaded a medical history (advanced attention during childhood) which he said would have forced him to take these substances.

Christian Coleman and his "no shows"

The big favorite in the 100m at the Doha Worlds in 2019, the American Christian Coleman is the subject of an investigation by the American Anti-Doping Agency (Usada) just before the start of the competition for three breaches of his anti-doping whereabouts obligations in less than 'a year.

But the agency having made a mistake on a date, Coleman was first cleared just before the Worlds, ending up being crowned on the straight.

On June 17, 2020, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) announces its provisional suspension following another missed test on December 9, 2019, its third in less than a year.

He was suspended for two years on October 27, 2020 before the sanction was reduced to 18 months by the (CAS), which deprived him of the Tokyo Games.

American Christian Coleman passes the baton to his compatriot Justin Gatlin during the 4x100m relay at the Doha Worlds, October 5, 2019 Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV AFP / Archives

The Russian case

Revelations about a vast doping system in Russia prompted the International Federation to suspend the country in November 2015. After fulfilling the criteria for readmission (public recognition, payment of scandal-related costs), the Russian Federation (Rusaf) was accused of helping high jumper Danil Lysenko justify failed doping tests with false documents.

It is then the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) which investigates a possible falsification of data from the Moscow laboratory – at the heart of the doping system between 2011 and 2015 – transmitted to WADA and the IAU for their investigations.

World Athletics threatens Russia with

exclusion and freezing in November 2019 the ANA program which allows athletes who have demonstrated their compliance with anti-doping rules to compete under a neutral flag.

This program was finally relaunched in March 2021 after the development by Rusaf of a "reintegration plan".

Russian Athletics Federation President Dmitry Shlyakhtin announcing his resignation to the press in Moscow on November 23, 2019 Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV AFP/Archives

Kenya, the hour of doubt

The country king of long-distance running has accumulated doping cases in recent years, casting a shadow over the performance of its representatives.

The country was thus on the brink of exclusion from the Rio Games in 2016 before announcing the introduction of specific measures such as the creation of a national anti-doping agency (Adak), the establishment of an accredited laboratory by WADA in 2018 and the adoption of an anti-doping law.

In total, more than 60 Kenyan athletes have been suspended in the past five years for doping-related offences, including breaches of anti-doping whereabouts requirements.

© 2022 AFP