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Since their modern revival in the late 19th century, the Olympic Games have grown into the world's largest and most prestigious sporting event. Over 200 countries participate, with more than 10,000 elite athletes competing in over 300 events. The immense scale, diverse cultures, and high stakes make controversy almost a certainty.
Every edition of the Olympic Games has been embroiled in some form of controversy, ranging from minor disagreements to outright violence or secretive, long-lasting schemes. Without a truly neutral third party (no nation volunteers to act as an impartial referee), disputes can drag on or remain unresolved indefinitely.
As a result, scandals are a constant companion to the Olympic Games. Here are ten of the most shocking and infamous Olympic scandals in history.
10. The Worst Referee Ever
At the 2012 London Olympics, one referee gave what might be considered the most outrageously corrupt performance in Olympic history. A bantamweight match between Japan’s Satoshi Shimizu and Azerbaijan’s Magomed Abdulhamidov unfolded with one fighter dominating the other, yet the official outcome was the opposite of what was clear to all.
Satoshi knocked Magomed down six times, an unusually high number of falls. However, each time, the referee failed to initiate a count, and at one point, even assisted Magomed by adjusting his headgear so he could continue. Despite Satoshi clearly being the victor, the decision was given to Magomed. The crowd and announcers were vocally outraged, but fortunately, Japan’s appeal later reversed the decision.
9. Twin Cheats
The tale of how Madeline and Margaret de Jesus cheated at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics seems like something out of a children’s movie, as if they had planned a real-life Parent Trap scenario.
While competing for Puerto Rico in the long jump, Madeline de Jesus suffered a hamstring injury. She was slated to participate in the 4×400 relay six days later, but didn’t want to miss the event. So, she hatched a plan to have her identical twin sister, Margaret—also a skilled sprinter—take her place in the relay. The ruse succeeded, and Margaret ran in Madeline’s place, achieving the qualifying time, until a reporter uncovered the scheme. Madeline’s coach, to his credit, withdrew the entire team to avoid tarnishing their reputations.
8. The French Judge
Marie-Reine Le Gougne, a French judge in the pairs’ figure skating competition at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics, watched as the Canadian and Russian teams competed for the gold. To the audience and spectators, it seemed clear that the Canadians had outperformed the Russians. However, when the judges cast their votes, the Russians were awarded the gold.
It was later revealed that Russia and France had conspired to manipulate the judging system, trading votes in order to ensure the Russians' victory. Le Gougne, deeply remorseful, admitted her involvement to both officials and the media. As a result, she became the most vilified of the judges, earning the infamous nickname 'The French Judge,' even though she appeared to be the only one with any sense of conscience and regret.
7. Salt Lake City Bribes
When the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics were awarded to the city, it wasn't the first time they had tried. After failing four times to secure the bid, Salt Lake City resorted to bribing members of the International Olympic Committee with money, gifts, and potentially even prostitutes to ensure their success on the fifth attempt.
The scandal resulted in the termination of several IOC members' careers, as well as the dismissal of many individuals within Salt Lake City who were involved in the bribery scheme. Additionally, the incident exposed the fact that bribing Olympic officials was not exclusive to Salt Lake City. Investigations into the previous two Olympic Games uncovered similar acts of corruption.
6. Kerrigan and Harding
The Tonya Harding/Nancy Kerrigan incident remains infamous, even inspiring the Margot Robbie-led film, 'I, Tonya.' In 1993, Harding and Kerrigan were two of the top female figure skaters in America, vying for spots on the U.S. team for the 1994 Lillehammer Olympics. But tragedy struck when Kerrigan was attacked by a man wielding a lead pipe, clearing the way for Harding to secure her place.
Naturally, the whole ordeal turned into a media spectacle. Harding's ex-husband hired the attacker, and it remains unclear whether Harding was involved in the planning, though she certainly knew about it before authorities did. Both skaters ended up at Lillehammer, where Kerrigan earned silver and Harding suffered a public meltdown.
5. Greg Louganis’s Secret
Greg Louganis is widely regarded as one of the greatest divers in history, and he was aiming to further solidify his legacy at the 1988 Seoul Olympics. During a preliminary round, Louganis struck his head on the diving board, resulting in a concussion and blood spilling into the pool. Despite this, he was stitched up and continued to perform at his usual high level.
However, it wasn't until seven years later that Louganis revealed he had been diagnosed with HIV six months before the 1988 Games began. Since HIV can be transmitted through bodily fluids and Louganis had bled in the pool, he was terrified of infecting another athlete. Due to the intense stigma surrounding homosexuality at the time, Louganis kept his diagnosis and the potential risk a secret. Thankfully, no one contracted the virus, and experts later confirmed that the chances of transmission were virtually nonexistent.
4. Boris the Cheat
Boris Onishchenko, a former pentathlete, earned the infamous nickname 'Boris the Cheat' due to his premeditated act of dishonesty at the 1976 Montreal Olympics, making him one of the most notorious figures in Olympic history.
During the fencing segment of the pentathlon, Onishchenko’s epee falsely registered a hit, despite it being nowhere near his opponent. While initially dismissed as an isolated incident, suspicions grew when a second false point occurred. Upon inspection, it was revealed that Onishchenko had rigged his epee with a switch that allowed him to record a touch automatically, whether or not it had actually happened. The setup was both deviously clever and poorly executed.
3. East German Doping
East Germany existed for only about 50 years, from the end of WWII until the fall of the Berlin Wall. Despite its brief existence, small size, and a host of economic, social, and political challenges, East Germany managed to dominate many sports, particularly in the Olympics from 1964 to 1988. This success, however, was the result of a government-run doping program that was so extensive, it makes the Russian doping scandal seem minor in comparison.
Overall, East German athletes amassed an astounding 203 gold, 192 silver, and 177 bronze medals during their Olympic dominance. In 1976 alone, they claimed 40 gold medals. This remarkable achievement, along with testimonies from former East German athletes who escaped the regime, raised suspicions worldwide. However, since East Germany conducted its own drug testing, these claims remained unproven. It wasn't until after Germany's reunification that East German doping records became public. The doping program was deeply embedded in the state's infrastructure, and the health consequences continue to affect the athletes today.
2. Russian Doping
Russia has been plagued by a long history of doping scandals at the Olympic Games. The 2000s and 2010s were marked by a series of positive drug tests and numerous allegations. However, it wasn't until several explosive confessions from inside the state-sponsored doping program that the full extent of the scandal was revealed.
From 2010 to 2014, Russian Anti-Doping Agency worker Vitaly Stepanov and his wife, Olympic athlete Yuliya Stepanova, dedicated themselves to uncovering the depth of Russia's state-sponsored doping scheme. Vitaly sent numerous messages to the World Anti-Doping Agency, while Yuliya covertly recorded conversations with athletes involved in the operation. In 2016, former Moscow Anti-Doping Laboratory director Grigory Rodchenkov corroborated the entire story. As a result, 43 medals were revoked from Russian athletes, and the nation was barred from participating in the Tokyo 2020(/2021) Olympics.
1. Everything About 1936
The 1936 Berlin Olympics are perhaps the most iconic Games in Olympic history. Hosted in the capital of Nazi Germany, the event took place just three years after Hitler's rise to power, during his reign of terror against European Jews. This led to widespread protests from Jewish athletes who refused to participate.
Hitler saw the Olympics as a chance to demonstrate Aryan racial superiority, and many believe that American officials, hoping to appease the dictator, excluded Jewish athletes from certain events. In a twist of fate, this move enabled African American Jesse Owens to compete in the 4×100 relay, securing one of his gold medals and making the idea of Aryan supremacy seem even more questionable.
