After being silent for many years, former Olympian Ben Johnson is now ready to talk about his controversial career. He was tested for stanozolol, a type of steroid in the Seoul Olympics in 1988. The positive test caused the forfeiture of his gold medals and led to a national inquiry in Canada for the alleged massive doping of their athletes. He was also suspended from the sports and in 1993 a lifetime ban was given to him for a second failed test for steroids.

During a symposium in New York, Ben Johnson told the media that its time for him to talk about his steroid suspension and come forward to tell everyone what really happened. “I kept a low profile for many years. But I’m getting older. It’s time for me to start to speak and come forward and tell the world exactly what [happened],” Johnson said. According to the report of CBC.ca, Johnson was invited to talk in a symposium about the future of Jamaican Track and Field.

The disgraced Olympian maintained his position that he should never tested positive for stanozolol because it was not part of his training regimen. Although he admitted that he was on steroids for many years. His coach, Charlie Francis also admitted in the Dubin inquiry that he administered steroids to his players to level the playing field. The coach, who died this month because of cancer, argued that many athletes were also doing the same.

This is also the sentiment of Johnson saying that most athletes were also taking something to improve their performance. His question is why is it that he was the only one that returned a positive test. There were rumors that some of the track and field athletes were also doping but never caught or suspended by the anti-doping authorities. Johnson also claimed that he should not have caught for steroids since he already stopped taking it 26 days before the competition. And having a positive test for a substance (stanozolol) that he was not taking is unacceptable to him. “I was wrongfully convicted and singled out,” said Johnson. He believed that someone spiked his drink which caused the positive test.

He told the reporters that he was sabotaged and he was able to get new information about the Seoul incident. His belief that he was a victim of conspiracy was strengthened when an individual approached and gave him specific details. Johnson did not mention names but he is ready to divulge all the information he got on his tell-all autobiography. It is titled “Seoul to Soul” which will be released in September.

This tell-all book will again get the public interest. Many will be eager to know who are those people behind the conspiracy as alleged by Ben Johnson. Could this be similar to the books published by other steroid users like Jose Canseco and other professional athletes? Johnson should be prepared to defend whatever facts he would put on his book to avoid a situation similar to Floyd Landis.

After 2 decades, Johnson still believes that the steroids did not help him run faster. Steroids allowed him to train harder, recover quicker and be in better shape. He has no plans of making a public apology for the controversy he created especially for Canadian sports. He again reiterated that he was not the only one using steroids.

Trackback URI | Comments RSS