Ben Johnson Uses Drugs

Though born in Falmouth, Jamaica, Ben Johnson, during the Olympic Games, representedCanada as he migrated there during the 1970s. After living in Ontario, Johnson came intocontact with Charlie Francis1, a track and field coach, and eventually Johnson joined the Scarborough Optimists track and field team. With an Olympic coach behind him, Johnson was able to succeed and in 1982 was able to win 2 silver medals at the Commonwealth Games in Australia. In the 1984 Summer Olympics Johnson earned a bronze medal as well as another bronze medal at part of the Canadian 4x100m relay team. His first top success came in the 1986 Goodwill Games when he won first place. Johnson’s success continued as his endorsements continued to grow. In 1987 he was invited to be a member of the Order of Canada because of the fact that he had broken multiple records held by Canadians.

The Losing Point

Throughout his career, Johnson had a long time competition with another runner named Carl Lewis. Lewis originally held many of the records that Johnson smashed, and Lewis often pointed out how some of these new runners were on drugs; little did people know he was correct. In the 1988 Olympic Games, the competition between the two was sky-high. In the first 100m run, Lewis won, but at the 100m final run, Johnson was able to earn a gold medal. However, 3 days after his win, Johnson failed his drug test as Stanozolol, an anabolic steroid, was found in his urine. Because of this he was suspended from the sport and his medal was taken. Johnson attempted his comeback in 1991, won various races, but was again busted for doping.