As one of the Summer Olympics’ marquee events, the men’s 100-meter final makes up 10 of the most watched seconds in sport. Every four years, millions of people drop everything and huddle around televisions to watch eight of the most freakishly gifted athletes on Earth compete for the title of “world’s fastest man”. Rooms fall silent at the sound of the starter’s gun. Jaws are left ajar at the sheer power of the start. Breaths are hurried as the world sees these superhuman men push the limits of the human body to its absolute capacity.
But what happens when they push the limits of the human body chemically before the race? How does the world react to the results before their eyes, knowing that some of the runners, and many past champions, have their results tainted by performance-enhancing drugs?
This weeks episode of Roll The Tape take a look at the last 30 years of the Olympic Men’s 100-metre finals, and how the world’s view of the races have changed with PEDs. From all-time races like the 1988 finals to world record times from Donovan Bailey and Usain Bolt… and a whole lot of failed drug tests in between… Afi and Kyle look back at how the world has viewed these races in a PED-focused world.
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Show Notes
- The grandeur of the men’s 100m Sprint [2:44]
- The 1988 ‘Dirtiest Race in History’ [4:12]
- 1992 becomes the slowest race since in 30 years [10:50]
- A star-studded race reignites the world’s interest in 1996 [12:04]
- The dominance of Donovan Bailey’s 9.84 [17:30]
- What to do about performance-enhancing drugs? [19:00]
- 2000/2004 - the forgotten races [32:14]
- Why do American sprinters use PEDs at such a high rate? [34:27]
- How come no one questions Usain Bolt (The rise of Usain) [41:11]
- Hot Take Corner [52:00]
Notable Mentions
Donovan Bailey | Usain Bolt | Ben Johnson | Carl Lewis | Linford Christie | Tyson Gay | Justin Gatlin | USATF
Additional Reading
- As Olympics Approach, A Look At The 100m Sprint. NPR
- 100m sprint: How does Usain Bolt compare to Olympians across the decades? Telegraph
- Usain Bolt and the Fastest Men in the World Since 1896 – on the Same Track. New York Times
- The dirtiest race in history: 1998’s Olympic 100m final, the year that steroids turned sport sour. Daily Mail
- Dealing with doping: Sports world can learn from Canada and Ben Johnson legacy. CBC
- Sadness tempers Bailey’s pride at having untarnished time. The Globe and Mail
- Justin Gatlin: Why US sprinter’s success is bad for athletics. BBC Sport
- Performance Enhancing Drugs in Sports Fast Facts. CNN
