Steroids in Athletics

Russia’s Svetlana Krivelyova was originally fourth place in the women’s shotput at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. She watched her Russian teammate Irina Korzhanenko stand on the podium and receive the gold medal. Korzhanenko was stripped of the gold medal a few days later after she tested positive for stanozolol (aka Winstrol). [Read more…]

Adam Nelson, a retired American shotputter, may be the winner of an Olympic gold medal – over eight years after the conclusion of the event. Nelson placed second in the shotput at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. However, the International Olympic Committee recently disqualified the original winner after the re-analysis of a stored urine sample this year detected the presence of anabolic steroids. [Read more…]

Anti-doping agencies have been relatively powerless to catch steroid users with current anti-doping protocols. Anti-doping officials have had the most success digging into the past to uncover steroid users from several years ago. The hope is that more sensitive and sophisticated detection techniques will be developed that will allow them to find previously undetectable substances. [Read more…]

Darya Pischchalnikova, a female discus thrower from Russia, will have to return her silver medal from the 2012 London Olympics after testing positive for the anabolic steroid stanozolol. Stanozolol is more commonly known by its trade name Winstrol. Stanozolol is available as an injectable Winstrol Depot and an orally-active Winstrol Tablet. [Read more…]

A Norwegian track coach was suspended by the Norwegian Athletics Association for providing advice on the effects of anabolic steroids and human growth hormone (hGH). Peter Vukicevic allegedly shared details of doping protocols in a series of emails sent to another high-level track coach between 2001 and 2003. [Read more…]

Former Canadian sprinter Tony Sharpe was once a teammate of the most infamous steroid-using athlete in the history of track and field – Ben Johnson. It was Johnson’s misfortune of getting caught using steroids at the 1998 Seoul Olympics that ultimately brought down all of his teammates, including Sharpe. [Read more…]

Isaiah Kiplagat, the chairman of Athletics Kenya, has requested the assistance of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to investigate allegations that Kenyan middle- and long-distance runners are using anabolic steroids, erythroipoietin (EPO) and blood transfusions to gain an advantage in competition. [Read more…]

Belarusian shot putter Nadzeya Ostapchuk received a one-year suspension from competition after her current coach claimed to be the source of the anabolic steroids found in her urine sample. A steroid positive typically results in a two-year ban unless there are extenuating circumstances that explain the presence of a prohibited substance. The admission by Ostapchuk’s coach apparently satisfied anti-doping authorities; it left many others skeptical. [Read more…]

Usain Bolt, the two-time Olympic champion in the 100-meters and 200-meters, has been suspected of using anabolic steroids by several people. There has been no evidence to suggest he used steroids. But in the midst of today’s steroid hysteria, every remarkable athletic performance is under suspicion. And it’s not just Bolt but the performances of the entire squad of Jamaican sprinters. [Read more…]