After boycotts, financial blow-outs and tragic terrorist attacks at recent Games, the Olympics suffered another shocking blow at Seoul in 1988: the doping disqualification of Canada’s Ben Johnson after his victory in the men’s 100m sprint in the world record time of 9.79 seconds. Johnson’s triumph over fierce rival Carl Lewis, the American defending champion from 1984, had captivated and mesmerised a global audience. His disqualification a day later for steroid abuse sent that same sports-loving world into a spin. Lewis was awarded the gold medal and Johnson left the Games in disgrace and was disqualified from competition, his record wiped from the books. During the Games, nine other athletes were disqualified from competitions after failing doping tests.
Johnson’s disqualification was, without question, the lowlight of 1988. It overshadowed many excellent achievements across the sports program. More than 8000 athletes from 160 nations set a new mark for participation at the Games. The program was expanded to include 237 events. Included among new sports and events were the debut of table tennis and the re-introduction of tennis after 64 years.
