The Olympic Games are supposed to be a celebration of human athletic achievement and international cooperation. But sometimes, things go wrong. From doping scandals to judging controversies, the modern Olympics have seen their fair share of shocking moments. Here are 14 of the biggest scandals that have rocked the Olympic world.
The 1972 Basketball Controversy
In the 1972 Munich Olympics, the USA basketball team thought they had won the gold medal game against the Soviet Union. But in a bizarre turn of events, the officials added three seconds back to the clock after the game had ended. The Soviets scored in those extra seconds, taking the gold. The US team refused to accept their silver medals, which still sit in a vault in Switzerland today.
Ben Johnson’s Steroid Scandal
Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson shocked the world when he won the 100-meter dash at the 1988 Seoul Olympics. His time of 9.79 seconds was a new world record. But just days later, Johnson tested positive for steroids. He was stripped of his gold medal and his record was erased. This scandal brought the issue of doping in sports to the forefront of public attention.
The Salt Lake City Bidding Scandal
The 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City were tainted before they even began. It was discovered that members of the Salt Lake Organizing Committee had bribed International Olympic Committee (IOC) members to win the bid for the games. This led to major reforms in the Olympic bidding process and the expulsion of several IOC members.
The 2000 Gymnastics Vault Controversy
During the 2000 Sydney Olympics, gymnasts noticed something was off about the vault. It turned out the vault had been set 5 centimeters too low. This tiny difference had a huge impact on the gymnasts’ performances and potentially affected the medal outcomes. The error wasn’t fixed until halfway through the competition, leading to questions about fairness.
The Russian Doping Scandal
In 2014, it was revealed that Russia had been running a state-sponsored doping program for years. This led to Russian athletes being banned from competing under their national flag in the 2018 Winter Olympics and the 2020 Summer Olympics. Many athletes had their medals stripped, and the scandal continues to have repercussions in the sports world.
The Nancy Kerrigan Attack
While not strictly an Olympic scandal, the attack on figure skater Nancy Kerrigan shook the 1994 Winter Olympics. Kerrigan was attacked by a man hired by the ex-husband of her rival, Tonya Harding. Despite her injury, Kerrigan went on to win silver at the Olympics. The incident became a media frenzy and is still talked about today.
The 2012 Badminton Match-Throwing
In the 2012 London Olympics, eight badminton players were disqualified for deliberately trying to lose matches. They were attempting to manipulate the draw for an easier path to the medal rounds. This scandal led to changes in the tournament format and raised questions about sportsmanship in the Olympics.
The 1988 Boxing Controversy
The 1988 Seoul Olympics saw one of the most controversial boxing matches in history. American Roy Jones Jr. clearly outboxed his South Korean opponent Park Si-hun, landing 86 punches to Park’s 32. Yet the judges awarded the gold to Park. Later investigations revealed that the judges had been wined and dined by South Korean officials before the match.
The 2000 Chinese Gymnasts Age Scandal
In the 2000 Sydney Olympics, the Chinese women’s gymnastics team won the bronze medal. But it was later discovered that one of their gymnasts, Dong Fangxiao, was only 14 years old, two years below the minimum age requirement. China was stripped of the bronze medal, which was then awarded to the US team.
The 1994 Figure Skating Judging Scandal
The 1994 Lillehammer Olympics saw a judging scandal in figure skating. Ukrainian judge Yuri Balkov was caught trying to fix the ice dancing competition. He was recorded telling another judge how to vote before the event. This incident led to changes in how figure skating is judged at the Olympics.
The 2016 Ryan Lochte Incident
During the 2016 Rio Olympics, American swimmer Ryan Lochte claimed he and three teammates had been robbed at gunpoint. It later turned out that Lochte had made up the story to cover up their vandalism of a gas station bathroom after a night of drinking. The incident caused international embarrassment for the US Olympic team.
The 1904 Marathon Debacle
The marathon at the 1904 St. Louis Olympics was a disaster from start to finish. The first-place finisher, Fred Lorz, had actually dropped out of the race and ridden in a car for 11 miles before rejoining near the end. The actual winner, Thomas Hicks, had been given a mixture of strychnine and brandy by his coaches during the race, which is now considered a performance-enhancing substance.
The 1976 Boxing Robbery
At the 1976 Montreal Olympics, American boxer Howard Davis Jr. was heavily favored to win gold in the lightweight division. In his final match against Simion Cutov of Romania, Davis appeared to dominate. But in a shocking decision, the judges awarded the victory to Cutov. The decision was so controversial that even Cutov looked surprised when his hand was raised.
The 1936 Berlin Olympics Controversy
The 1936 Berlin Olympics were controversial from the start. They were held in Nazi Germany, and many countries considered boycotting the games due to the Nazi regime’s policies. Adolf Hitler saw the games as a chance to promote his ideas of racial supremacy. However, African American athlete Jesse Owens famously won four gold medals, challenging Hitler’s racist ideologies on a world stage.
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Katy Willis is a writer, master herbalist, master gardener, and certified canine nutritionist who has been writing since 2002. She’s finds joy in learning new and interesting things, and finds history, science, and nature endlessly fascinating.
