The 1988 Seoul Olympics played host to what has been described by some
as the dirtiest race of all time, by others as the greatest. The final
of the men's 100 metres at those Olympics is certainly the most infamous
in the history of athletics, and more indelibly etched into the
consciousness of the sport, the Olympics, and a global audience of
millions, than any other athletics event before or since.
Ben Johnson's world-record time of 9.79 seconds - as thrilling as it
was - was the beginning rather than the end of the story. Following the
race, Johnson tested positive, news that generated as many - if not
more - shockwaves as his fastest ever run. He was stripped of the title,
Lewis was awarded the gold medal, Linford Christie the silver and Calvin
Smith the bronze.
More than two decades on, the story still hadn't ended. In 1999 Lewis
was named Sportsman of the Century by the IOC, and Olympian of the
Century by Sports Illustrated. Yet his reputation was damaged by
revelations that he too used performance-enhancing drugs, and tested
positive prior to the Seoul Olympics. Christie also tested positive in
Seoul but his explanation, that the banned substance had been in ginseng
tea, was accepted. Smith, now a lecturer in English literature at a
Florida university, was the only athlete in the top five whose
reputation remains unblemished - the others all tested positive at some
stage in their careers.
Containing remarkable new revelations, this book uses witness
interviews - with Johnson, Lewis and Smith among others - to reconstruct
the build-up to the race, the race itself, and the fallout when news of
Johnson's positive test broke and he was forced into hiding. It also
examines the rivalry of the two favourites going into it, and puts the
race in a historical context, examining its continuing relevance on the
sport today, where every new record elicits scepticism.
