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Five of the biggest drug scandals in sport

With news circulating that Mo Farah apparently missed two drug tests in the lead up to the 2012 O...



Five of the biggest drug scand...
Golf

Five of the biggest drug scandals in sport

With news circulating that Mo Farah apparently missed two drug tests in the lead up to the 2012 Olympics, this got us thinking about some of the most prominent drug scandals in sport.

Let's be fair, a drug scandal breaks sports fans hearts. The thought that results are not just due to talent and hard work but instead is dependent on a substance is pretty soul destroying and ruins the reputation of sport.

Then again, there are those sport stars who decided they were going to take these drugs somewhat more, shall we say, recreationally.

We've certainly seen quite a few prominent drugs scandals over the years, here are some of the most famous of those cases.

Yes, of course Lance is in there.

1. Michelle Smith

Oh, how Michelle broke our hearts. Remember this?

Then it all went wrong.

Two years after the Atlanta Olympics in 1996 where de Bruin took home three gold medals and one bronze, she tampered with a urine sample using alcohol and received a four year ban. She was never stripped of her medals as the tests were not positive but she broke all of our hearts so that's worse. We thought we finally won at something! 

2. Lance Armstrong

It has to be the most famous drug scandal in sport, the beloved Armstrong who overcame cancer to return to sport and win the Tour de France was finally stripped of his titles in 2012 and given a lifelong ban.

Everyone knows the story, everyone remembers this admission.

3. Diego Maradona

According to Wikepedia, "from the mid-1980s until 2004 Diego Maradona was addicted to cocaine." All joking aside, it's amazing to think that one of the most prominent players in football was living for so long with a drug problem.

By the time he was playing for Napoli, his drug addiction began to get in the way of his ability to play the game.

He went on to spend some time in rehab and eventually kicked his addiction claiming in an interview in 2007 that he was free from drugs and alcohol.

However, it could possibly mean this goal was quite questionable for, well, many reasons.

4. Ben Johnson

Recording what has often been described as superhuman times, Ben Johnson was a giant of athletics. Following Olympic triumph in Tokyo however, he tested positive for drugs, a type of steroids.

Johnson, like many others, used the excuse of, well everyone is doing it really aren't they?

5. Michael Phelps

The world class swimmer didn't really do himself any favours by smoking what was apparently cannabis out of a bong at a student party following an unprecedented eight goal medals at the Beijing Olympics.

With new rules introduced, it could have ended Phelps career but he apologised and received a three month ban from the sport.

Couldn't have their world class swimmer out of the sport really, could they?

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