It was a massive story at the time.He didn't just win the race.He left them in the shadows.He blitzed them.
Most of these runners were probably doping.But he got caught.
He was stripped of his gold medal.
The fact is he physically won that race.That's what happened.
But he tested positive for a banned substance.History erased on paper.
This was a watershed moment in sports history.
Before;most people probably hadn't heard of steroids,after everyone had.
They were shocked,and became suspicious,and cynical.
People don't like to be made fools of and they felt like they had.They didn't know what was going on behind the scenes in high level sports.
The evidence of the East German doping program had been noticed by those following international sport.But before the fall of East Germany all the records,and revelations were yet to see the full light of day.
This was the time when people realized how much of a difference doping an athlete could make.At least that was the perception.That Ben Johnson was a kind of Stanozolol powered Superman.
Who knows how these athletes would have performed if they were all perfectly natural?
Ben Johnson might have still won.We'll never know.
Here's the Sports Illustrated covering the story at the time.
The loser
Here's the famous cover Busted.
I think it's worth looking at the history of the increased awareness of AAS use in sports.It has certainly effected the view of bodybuilding,weightlifting,and physiques in general.
People have become intensely suspicious of anyone with muscular size.
To be a muscular human now seems to attract accusations of being a 'cheater'.
I think too many people overreact ,and howl "Roids! You can't fool me!"
Clearly people have been fooled in the past over all kinds of subjects.They'll get fooled again by many more.
Better more informed opinions than jumping to conclusions if you ask me.
I'll post a few more stories of interest on this period.
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