1993: Johnson gets life ban from athletics

The disgraced Olympic sprinter, Ben Johnson, has been banned from athletics for life after failing a drugs test for a second time.

The International Amateur Athletics Federations (IAAF) announced the ban after a meeting in Paris. It had been widely expected after Johnson tested positive for a banned substance in Canada last month.

Canadian Johnson won the 100m at the Seoul Olympics in 1988 but was subsequently stripped of his medal after testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs.

He returned to athletics after a two-year ban but failed to regain his form. At the Barcelona Olympics in 1992, he did not even reach the 100m final.

Last month he made what will almost certainly be his last appearance at an athletics meeting at Ghent in Belgium. Only a few days earlier, he had failed a test for a performance enhancing drug.

Overwhelming evidence

Today's announcement was made by Istvan Gyulai, IAAF Secretary: "Under IAAF rules an athlete will be ineligible for life for a second doping offence, pending a hearing before the respective national athletic federation."

IAAF sources say the evidence against Johnson is overwhelming and an appeal is therefore unlikely to succeed.

The athletics world has condemned Johnson for bringing the sport into disrepute.

Paul Dupre, who represents Athletics Canada, said: "The Olympic movement, the athletics movement, this country, we are all carrying the burden of the embarrassment."

Frank Dick, British team coach, said the world had been prepared to forgive Johnson the first time he failed a dope test - but a second offence was unforgivable. "A life ban is just what he deserves," he said.

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