The Olympics are full of traditions, but cheating keeps happening. Athletes have tried breaking the rules for years to gain fame. Here are a few famous cheating incidents in the Olympic Games.
Nero's Cheating
In 67 CE, Roman Emperor Nero joined the Olympics even though only Greeks could compete. He used bribes to join and also used 10 horses in a race that only allowed 4. Even after he fell during the race, officials still declared him the winner.
Shortcut in the Marathon
In the 1904 St. Louis Olympics, the marathon was extremely tough. Fred Lorz, an American runner, got tired after 9 miles and decided to ride a car for the next 11 miles. He got out of the car and finished first, but his cheating was quickly discovered, and another runner, Thomas Hicks, was declared the winner.
The Fake Hit
At the 1976 Montreal Olympics, Ukrainian athlete Boris Onishchenko cheated in fencing by using a sword that gave false points. After the British team noticed the issue, Onishchenko was caught and banned from the Games.
Marion Jones and Steroids
American sprinter Marion Jones won five medals at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Later, it was revealed she used steroids and lied about it. All her medals were taken away, and she served six months in prison.
The “Dirtiest Race”
The 100-meter race at the 1988 Seoul Olympics is called the "dirtiest race" because of widespread drug use. Canadian runner Ben Johnson won but was stripped of his medal after testing positive for steroids. His gold medal was given to Carl Lewis, who also had a history of banned substances but was not punished.
Horse Doping
In the 2008 Beijing Olympics, a horse named Camiro tested positive for a banned substance. As a result, rider Tony André Hansen lost his bronze medal.
Badminton Scandal
At the 2012 London Olympics, four women's badminton teams were disqualified for intentionally losing matches to get better matchups in the next round. The crowd booed as the teams were kicked out for not giving their best effort.
East German Swimmers
In the 1970s and '80s, East German women dominated swimming. They won 10 out of 13 events at the 1976 Olympics, but it was later revealed that they were secretly given banned substances. Many of them didn’t even know they were being drugged.
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