Doping scandals have rapidly become more and more prevalent as significant developments in technology and medicine have been made. For some professional athletes, doping is the only way to make it to the top. Here are ten of the craziest doping scandals of all time.
Number Ten: Floyd Landis
Floyd Lewis was one of the first major cycling stars to come under fire for doping. After an unbelievable comeback, questions started being asked and his urine came back with three times the amount of regular testosterone levels. He pointed a finger at Lance Armstrong, but he denied any involvement. (Don’t worry, we’ll get to him shortly.)
Number Nine: Alex Rodriguez
Oh, A-rod. We all believed in you! Sadly, he was the only baseball player outed in the human growth hormone and doping scandals who wouldn’t take the punishment quietly. This led many fans to doubt his natural abilities and many lost the reverence they once had for him.
Number Eight: Ben Johnson
One of many gold medal Olympians on this list, Ben Johnson ran the 100-meter sprint and won, but later had to give back the medal when he came up positive for steroids. Numerous other sprinters in the race turned up positive for steroids and the only medalist who didn’t was the bronze medal winner.
Number Seven: Marion Jones
Marion Jones was a role model for many as a world champion track star and five-time gold medal Olympian, until the doping scandals started happening in her inner circle. After initially denying any involvement, she eventually admitted to her doping use and was sentenced to six months in jail for perjury.
Number Six: Tyson Gay
Another track star, Tyson Gay was on the heels of the fastest man in the world, Usain Bolt, until he tested positive for banned substances. He was suspended after the results came in and stripped of his Olympic medal.
Number Five: Barry Bonds
Barry Bonds rose to fame during what’s known as the steroid era of baseball. When records were being shattered left and right, it led to questions about the players use of steroids. Although Bonds tried to play dumb, he was found out to have used a variety of steroids throughout his career.
Number Four: Justin Gatlin
Oh, the 100-meter dash. How it calls out to all steroid and doping users. Justin Gatlin is another 100-meter dash sprinter gold medalist to have tested positive for banned substances not once, but twice.
Number Three: Carl Lewis
When Ben Johnson was caught using banned substances, Carl Lewis was named the 100-meter dash winner. However, not long after it came out that Carl Lewis had also been using banned substances. Will there ever be a clean 100-meter dash winner?
Number Two: Sammy Sosa
Sammy, Sammy, Sammy. Like Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa thrived during the steroid era of baseball. He broke records while testing positive for banned substances. Many claimed it was a steroid culture that made him do it. I think it’s safe to say he injected everything on his own.
Number One: Lance Armstrong And His Team’s Doping Scandals
Lance Armstrong was revered as one of the best athletes of all time. After winning the Tour de France seven times, he vehemently denied those pesky doping rumors from former teammate Floyd and was riding a high. Until it all came crashing down in 2012 when it came out he had been doping for years. He publicly apologized, but it is still the top doping scandal of all time.
Professional athletes really are freaks of nature, in the sense that they can do other things that average people can’t. However, sometimes even they feel the need to achieve even more and often turn to doping to do so. Let these doping scandals be a warning to any athletes considering using the stuff. Don’t do it.