Hero to zero in 9.79 sec

MUMBAI: Jamaican-born Canadian Ben Johnson had set the world record in the 100m sprint at the World Championship the previous year. He had always been second best

MUMBAI: Jamaican-born Canadian Ben Johnson had set the world record in the 100m sprint at the World Championship the previous year. He had always been second best to Carl Lewis — who won at the previous Games in Los Angeles — but had suddenly one-upped his opponent in the span of two years leading up to the 1988 Seoul Games. In the final, Johnson won the race by a big margin, resetting his own world record to 9.79 seconds. But his joy was short-lived as he was disqualified three days later after his blood and urine samples tested positive for anabolic steroid stanozolol. The nation’s pride turned into its shame with some proclaiming he went from ‘Hero to Zero in 9.79’.

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