HKonline 2008-9-23 22:57
History of the week
History of the week﹕Ben Johnson's short-lived victory
On September 24, 1988, Canadian sprinter (短跑選手) Ben Johnson (約翰遜) ran the 100-metre dash (短跑) in 9.79 seconds and won gold at the Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. Johnson's triumph (勝利), however, was temporary: He tested positive for steroids (類固醇) three days later and was stripped (被奪去) of the medal.
In the 100-metre final, Johnson lined up in Lane 6, while Carl Lewis (劉易斯) took his position in Lane 3 and fellow contender (競爭者) Linford Christie (克里斯蒂) of Great Britain lined up in Lane 4. Johnson got off to an explosive start, and Lewis simply could not catch up and finished several full strides (步) behind Johnson. After the race, Johnson declared to reporters, "The important thing was to beat Carl."
On September 27, Johnson tested positive for steroids. He denied willfully (蓄意地) using steroids, instead claiming that an herbal (草藥的) drink he'd been given before the race had been spiked (被下藥). The International Olympic Committee refused to accept his explanation, and Johnson was stripped of the gold medal, which was then given to Carl Lewis.
text provided by
The History Channel (now TV Channel 223)
