Book description
>Ben Johnson s world-record time of 9. 79 seconds - as thrilling as
it was - was the beginning rather than the end of the story. Following
the race, Johnson tested positive, news that generated as many - if not
more - shockwaves as his fastest ever run. He was stripped of the title,
with Lewis awarded the gold medal, Linford Christie the silver and
Calvin Smith the bronze.
More than two decades on, the story still hadn t ended. In 1999 Lewis
was named Sportsman of the Century by the IOC, and Olympian of the
Century by Sports Illustrated. Yet his reputation was damaged by
revelations that he too used performance-enhancing drugs, and tested
positive prior to the Seoul Olympics. Christie also tested positive in
Seoul but his explanation, that the banned substance had been in ginseng
tea, was accepted. Smith, now a lecturer in English literature at a
Florida university, was the only athlete in the top five whose
reputation remains unblemished - the others all tested positive at some
stage in their careers.
Containing remarkable new revelations, this book uses witness interviews
- with Johnson, Lewis and Smith among others - to reconstruct the
build-up to the race, the race itself, and the fallout when news of
Johnson s positive test broke and he was forced into hiding. It also
examines the rivalry of the two favourites going into it, and puts the
race in a historical context, examining its continuing relevance on the
sport today, where every new record elicits scepticism.> The book
will bring armchair athletes to the edge of their seats - and leave them
with a very nasty taste in their mouths Mail on Sunday The book is a
magnificent document about the Carl Lewis-Ben Johnson rivalry. It
plunges you deep into the bitterness that marked their enmity and
because Moore is the kind of journalist who will speak to 17 people when
he could get the story from two, the breadth and detail is astonishing
The Times A remarkably fresh read given the amount of ink already
spilled on the topic. Author Richard Moore has delivered what is
certainly the most comprehensive account, and as close to definitive as
possible without giving all the "answers" Glasgow Herald
Probably the finest sports book published this year
thewashingmachinepost. net A captivating and detailed account ... it
reads like a thriller, which is exactly the right tone to adopt by
author Richard Moore for a story dripping with skulduggery and intrigue
... compelling Sunday Express >Ben Johnson s world-record time of
9. 79 seconds - as thrilling as it was - was the beginning rather than
the end of the story. Following the race, Johnson tested positive, news
that generated as many - if not more - shockwaves as his fastest ever
run. He was stripped of the title, with Lewis awarded the gold medal,
Linford Christie the silver and Calvin Smith the bronze.
More than two decades on, the story still hadn t ended. In 1999 Lewis
was named Sportsman of the Century by the IOC, and Olympian of the
Century by Sports Illustrated. Yet his reputation was damaged by
revelations that he too used performance-enhancing drugs, and tested
positive prior to the Seoul Olympics. Christie also tested positive in
Seoul but his explanation, that the banned substance had been in ginseng
tea, was accepted. Smith, now a lecturer in English literature at a
Florida university, was the only athlete in the top five whose
reputation remains unblemished - the others all tested positive at some
stage in their careers.
Containing remarkable new revelations, this book uses witness interviews
- with Johnson, Lewis and Smith among others - to reconstruct the
build-up to the race, the race itself, and the fallout when news of
Johnson s positive test broke and he was forced into hiding. It also
examines the rivalry of the two favourites going into it, and puts the
race in a historical context, examining its continuing relevance on the
sport today, where every new record elicits scepticism.>
