From Vinesh Phogat to Ben Johnson: 10 athletes disqualified from the Olympics in past and why

Athletes around the world practice hard year after year to qualify for the quadrennial Olympic Games, hoping to stand on the podium. Some win and some lose, but some get to taste victory only to have that dream shattered in minutes. With the 2024 Paris Olympics underway, in one of the most heartbreaking moments for India, Vinesh Phogat, the star Indian wrestler who had stunned the world with her exceptional skills, has been disqualified from the Olympic Games. After winning in the semifinals, Vinesh had ensured a medal for India. However, the next morning during the routine weight check, Vinesh weighed a little more than the mandatory 50 kg. As heartbreaking as this is, this is not the first time an Olympic athlete has been disqualified; since 1904, there have been instances of players getting disqualified, mainly on account of failed drug tests. Take a look at 10 players who were disqualified from the Olympic Games.

In the 1904 lightweight boxing event, Jack Egan from Pennsylvania was the first Olympic medalist to be disqualified after receiving the medal. A year or so after Jack was awarded the silver medal in the Olympics, it was found that Jack Egan was not his official name; he actually went by the name Frank Joseph Floyd. This was against the rules of the AAU, which, upon discovery, disqualified him from all AAU events and asked Frank to return his medals. Fighting under an alias was not unheard of, as wealthy athletes didn’t want to be associated with the sport.
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Bhakvain made his debut in the Olympic Games in 1972. Before participating in the men’s Judo event in the 63 kg category, he had no firm knowledge of judo or even the basic rules. However, due to his background in freestyle wrestling, Buyaada managed to reach the finals after defeating Jean-Jacques Monnier, who had won the European Champion title from 1970-73. Buyaada's success streak stopped with World Champion Takao Kawaguchi of Japan easily defeating him. However, according to reports, Kawaguchi broke two of his ribs while escaping a hold from Buyaada. With his defeat, Buyaada finished second on the podium. However, a few days later, he failed a drug test and tested positive for Dianabol, an anabolic steroid, making him the first Olympic judoka to fail a drug test.

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The 100-meter final at the 1988 Seoul Olympics is considered the “Dirtiest Race in History.” Ben Johnson was competing with world champions and record holders like Carl Lewis and Linford Christie, but he managed to leave them all behind and completed his sprint in 9.79 seconds. His opponents and even the press were shocked by Johnson’s performance. However, just 24 hours later, the gold medal was taken away from this Canadian player as traces of the banned steroid stanozolol were found in his urine. He was not the only one; according to a CNN report, six out of eight athletes who participated in the finals would fail the drug test themselves.

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Alain, who comes from a family of skiers, became the first Briton to win an Olympic medal on snow, as opposed to ice, in the 2002 Olympics. However, a few weeks later, it was announced that Alain had tested positive for methamphetamine. This drug is found in the American version of a nasal decongestant, which Alain claimed he bought from Utah. Since this drug is absent in the British version, the FIS banned Baxter for three months, and the IOC took back his Olympic medal. According to reports, Alain went on to race in another six seasons, but he never reached the level of success he had prior to the 2002 Olympics.
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Originally born in Albania, Leonidas was eligible for Greek citizenship due to his parents hailing from Greece. A decorated player, Leonidas won Greece’s first medal, a bronze, in the 2004 Athens Olympics. He was immediately honored by the state, which issued a postage stamp for him. However, later on, he tested positive for excessive testosterone. His TE ratio was 24.95, which is four times higher than permitted. Leonidas was given a six-month jail sentence by Greek courts and was prohibited from playing sports for two years. After the revelation, the postage stamps were revoked.
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In the 2008 Beijing Olympics, a Chinese female weightlifter was stripped of her medal after she tested positive for GHRP-2, which stimulates the production of growth hormone, and sibutramine, a banned stimulant. The years 2008 and 2012 were shameful for the sports industry when more than 50 doping cases were found, and 25 of them had their medals snatched.
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A North Korean double medalist, Kim Jong-su tested positive for Propranolol, a beta-blocker banned in certain events, especially in precision sports such as shooting and archery. Kim had won a silver medal in the 50m pistol event and a bronze in the 10m air pistol.

Dissatisfied with the results, this Swedish wrestler who finished third in the Men's Greco-Roman 84 kg category wrestling threw his medal on the floor and rushed off, insisting: "I don't care about this medal. I wanted gold." During the match, he was also aggressive towards the referee and continuously questioned their decisions. Following his tantrum, The Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee disqualified him from the match and the entire tournament.
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Serghei Tarnovschi, a Moldovan-Ukrainian canoe sprint athlete who won a bronze medal in the men's C1 1000 meters event in the 2016 Summer Olympics, got his medals snatched after he tested positive for drugs. Following the revelation, he was suspended for four years.
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In 2021, the (then) 15-year-old Russian skater was caught in a doping scandal. Kamila failed a test for trimetazidine (TMZ), a drug designed to prevent angina. The result of the inquiry came in January 2024, by which time Kamila had participated in many events and won titles. The court ordered that all of Kamila’s medals, prizes, and results be stripped away.

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