The Olympics and its athletes have been the subject of many infamous scandals and controversies over the years — Tonya Harding and Ryan Lochte may come to mind.
The 2024 Olympics in Paris were no exception, as athletes dealt with online scrutiny and judging errors while National Olympic Committees and coaches faced cheating allegations. And, of course, who could forget about all the drama with pollution in the Seine.
Here’s a look back at some of the Olympic Games’ biggest controversies and updates on those that continue to unfold.
During the 1998 Winter Olympics, French ice skater Surya Bonaly pulled off an illegal yet impressive backflip on the ice that cost her points.
After suffering an injury prior to the Olympics in Nagano, Japan, and knowing three minutes into her free-skate set that she wouldn’t be receiving a medal, Bonaly decided to pull out her signature move — which was illegal to do in competition.
“I wanted to do something to please the crowd, not the judges,” she said, according to the Miami Herald and the Washington Post. “The judges are not pleased no matter what I do, and I knew I couldn’t go forward anyway because everybody was skating so good.”
The Huffington Post reported Bonaly is one of only a few female skaters to have ever performed the move in competition, and the only skater, male or female, to ever land a one-foot backflip.
Ice skater Tonya Harding was banned from the sport after her ex-husband planned an attack on her competitor, Nancy Kerrigan, in an effort to crush Kerrigan’s Olympic dreams.
In one of the biggest scandals in sports history, Nancy Kerrigan was physically attacked on January 6, 1994, which put her at risk of never skating again. At the time, she was the top ice skater in the US and a gold medal hopeful for the 1994 Winter Olympics, The New York Times reported.
Harding later pleaded guilty to not cooperating with prosecutors. She was fined $160,000 and banned from ever participating in skating competitions again. Harding’s ex-husband, former bodyguard, and two others spent time in prison for their connections to the scheme.
For more than two decades, Harding denied knowing anything about their plot, but in a 2018 ABC special, she admitted she had an inkling the men were behind it. However, she maintained she had no part in planning the attack.
At the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, the artistic gymnastics vault was 2 inches shorter than it was supposed to be, throwing many athletes off their game.
ABC News reported five gymnasts took the opportunity to re-perform their vaults after the botched vault setting was revealed.
Also that year, it was discovered that Chinese gymnast Dong Fangxiao had lied about her age, breaking the rules.
The New York Times reported Fangxiao was found to have falsified her age to the Olympics committee in order to meet the requirements at the 2000 Olympics, which required all competing athletes to be at least 16 years old. At the time of the competition she was 14.
The entire team’s bronze medal was later revoked and Fangxiao’s scores were discounted. The fourth-place US team was then awarded the bronze medal.
Questions over Chinese gymnasts’ ages were raised again in 2008.
However, an official investigation into gold medalist He Kexin and several other teammates revealed they were indeed eligible to compete, Reuters reported.
Team USA track athlete Marion Jones was stripped of her five Olympic medals, including three gold, after admitting to using steroids to prepare for the competition.
At the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Jones became the first woman to win five track-and-field medals at a single Olympics, according to Britannica. However, in 2007, Jones admitted she had used steroids to prepare for the games and was stripped of her medals.
In January 2008, she was sentenced to six months in prison for lying to federal investigators about her steroid use ahead of the Olympics and for her involvement in a separate check fraud case.
More than 100 athletes from Russia were banned from the 2016 Games in Rio due to widespread doping allegations.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) carried out an investigation of all Russian athletes set to compete in the Rio Olympics after allegations of widespread “doping,” the use of illegal substances to improve sports performance.
Reuters reported that 116 Russian athletes were banned from that year’s Olympic Games, while the remaining 271 athletes were approved to compete. A smaller squad was also sent to the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Games.
In light of the doping scandal, Russia’s team name, flag, and national anthem were banned at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the 2022 Beijing Olympics by the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Instead, the team goes by “ROC,” an acronym for Russian Olympic Committee.
US swimmers Ryan Lochte, Jimmy Feigen, Gunnar Bentz, and Jack Conger were embroiled in scandal after vandalizing a gas station in Rio and claiming to have been mugged at gunpoint.
The story caused an international scandal but an investigation revealed that rather than an armed robbery, a night of drunken revelry had ensued.
After the four men asked their taxi driver to pull over at a gas station, they engaged in public urination and vandalism. The group later said they were held at gunpoint by men who claimed to be police officers.
Lochte admitted to exaggerating their original story, telling NBC’s Matt Lauer, “If I hadn’t exaggerated the story or told the entire story, none of this would have happened. I was coming from the France house, I was highly intoxicated, and I made immature accusations. If I had not done that, none of this would have happened.”
He added that he was “truly, 110% sorry.”
Lochte was given a 10-month suspension from domestic and international competitions, while Feigen, Bentz, and Conger were given four-month suspensions for failing to come forward about what actually happened that night, The New York Times reported.
Ahead of the 2020 Olympics, the Olympic committee sparked outrage after banning swim caps designed specifically for natural hair.
Ahead of the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo — which were delayed until 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic — the International Swimming Federation (known as World Aquatics since January 2023), announced that certain swim caps would not be permitted, Metro reported.
The organization, formerly known as FINA, rejected an application to certify products from the Black-owned brand Soul Cap, which creates inclusive swim caps for people with dreadlocks, afros, and other natural hairstyles. FINA claimed the caps didn’t fit “the natural form of the head” and were unnecessary.
“For younger swimmers, feeling included and seeing yourself in a sport at a young age is crucial,” Toks Ahmed and Michael Chapman, the founders of Soul Cap, said in a statement sent to Business Insider. “FINA’s recent dismissal could discourage many younger athletes from pursuing the sport as they progress through local, county, and national competitive swimming.”
Following criticism, FINA later said it would be reviewing its decision. Soul Cap was officially approved by FINA in September 2022.
Sha’Carri Richardson was excluded from the USA track-and-field Olympics roster after she received a positive drug test result for using marijuana.
Sha’Carri Richardson, one of the fastest female runners in the US, was excluded from the US relay team in 2021 after testing positive for THC, the psychoactive component in cannabis, at the US Olympic Team Trials. She later admitted she took marijuana after learning from a reporter that her biological mother had died.
“I’m not making an excuse or looking for empathy in my case,” the then-21-year-old athlete said in an interview with NBC’s “Today” show. However, she added that finding out about her death and dealing with the relationship they had “was a very heavy topic.”
USATF said in a statement: “First and foremost, we are incredibly sympathetic toward Sha’Carri Richardson’s extenuating circumstances and strongly applaud her accountability — and will offer her our continued support both on and off the track.
“While USATF fully agrees that the merit of the World Anti-Doping Agency rules related to THC should be reevaluated, it would be detrimental to the integrity of the US Olympic Team Trials for Track & Field if USATF amended its policies following competition, only weeks before the Olympic Games,” the statement continued.
Horseback riding was eliminated from the modern pentathlon after a horse-punching incident at the Tokyo Olympics.
In 2021, German coach Kim Raisner was ejected from the Olympic competition following an incident involving athlete Annika Schleu and her horse, Saint Boy. When Saint Boy refused to jump during the show-jumping round of the women’s event, Raisner was heard encouraging Schleu to “really hit it, hit” the horse to get it to jump, and even struck Saint Boy herself.
Following the incident, animal safety at the event was called into question. The Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne, which oversees the pentathlon, said the incident caused “distress both inside and outside the global UIPM Sports community.”
“UIPM regrets the trauma suffered by Saint Boy in this high-profile incident and has penalized the coach who violated the UIPM Competition Rules by striking the horse from outside the ring,” the organization said in a statement.
“Not only will UIPM conduct a full review of the riding discipline of the women’s modern pentathlon at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, it will also reinforce the importance of horse welfare and athlete safety across the entire global competition structure,” the statement continued.
“Although no athlete or horse was physically injured on August 6, the best possible safeguards must be in place to minimize risk in future.”
The change was set to come into effect after the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Kamila Valieva’s eligibility to compete in the 2022 Winter Olympics was called into question after the then-15-year-old skater failed a drug test.
Kamila Valieva, a skater competing for the Russian Olympic Committee, was embroiled in a doping scandal after it was revealed she had tested positive for trimetazidine, a drug the World Anti-Doping Agency categorizes as a “hormone and metabolic modulator,” as reported by The Associated Press.
Business Insider reported that the drug can “bolster endurance and improve circulation,” potentially giving athletes who do not need to be using the drug a competitive advantage. Valieva’s lawyers have said her positive test was the result of a mix-up with her grandfather’s medicine.
After news of the skater failing the drug test in December 2021 emerged in early February 2022, Valieva was suspended from competition. However, the decision was appealed and overturned, allowing Valieva to continue with the competition.
The IOC later challenged that decision, but the Court of Arbitration for Sport lifted her suspension.
The decision to allow Valieva to skate received backlash from people within the skating community, including commentators Tara Lipinski and Johnny Weir.
American sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson said she believes she was treated differently to Valieva over their positive tests because she is Black; the IOC denied that is the case.
The skater earned first place in the women’s short program on February 15, 2022, but she came in fourth position in the women’s free-skate competition after two falls two days later, keeping her out of medal contention.
The IOC had said it would not hold a medal ceremony if she was in the top three.
Six-time dressage Olympic medalist Charlotte Dujardin of Great Britain was barred from the Paris Olympics after a video reportedly showed her whipping a horse.
In a July 2024 press release, the International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI) said it received a video of Dujardin “engaging in conduct contrary to the principles of horse welfare,” noting that “the footage was allegedly taken several years ago during a training session conducted by Ms. Dujardin at a private stable.” She was issued a six-month suspension and barred from the Paris Games.
The Guardian reported Dujardin, 39, whipped a horse more than 20 times during the session.
Dujardin released a statement on Instagram, writing that the video showed her “making an error of judgment.”
She added, “What happened was completely out of character and does not reflect how I train my horses or coach my pupils, however there is no excuse. I am deeply ashamed and should have set a better example in that moment.”
Dujardin finished her statement with an apology and said she would “cooperate fully” during investigations.
Canadian women’s soccer head coach Beverly “Bev” Priestman was removed from the 2024 Olympics amid a cheating scandal.
On July 26, 2024, the Canadian Olympic Committee released a statement that women’s national soccer team head coach Bev Priestman was removed from the Olympics.
“Over the past 24 hours, additional information has come to our attention regarding previous drone use against opponents, predating the Paris 2024 Olympic Games,” Canada Soccer CEO and General Secretary Kevin Blue said.
It followed the previous arrest of an analyst, identified by the Toronto Star as Joseph Lombardi, in France in July after authorities said he flew a drone over New Zealand’s soccer team and captured images. Lombardi, Priestman, and an assistant coach named Jasmine Mander were all later removed from the Olympics.
Following an investigation by FIFA, Priestman was suspended from the sport for a year, NPR reported.
In a statement issued through her legal counsel, per The Athletic, Priestman said, “As the leader of the team on the field, I want to take accountability, and I plan to fully cooperate with the investigation.”
Under the leadership of interim head coach Andy Spence, the team advanced through the group stage despite a six-point penalty, before ultimately losing to Germany in the quarterfinals.
Team USA gymnast Jordan Chiles will be forced to return her bronze medal from the floor exercise final following a new ruling from the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
The women’s artistic gymnastics floor exercise final was full of drama — and it’s not over yet.
The controversy began after Team USA gymnast Jordan Chiles was originally awarded a score of 13.666 to place fifth.
Her coach, Cecile Landi, appealed the score based on the routine’s difficulty, and officials re-evaluated the routine and awarded Chiles a 13.766, bumping her from fifth to third place and allowing her to receive the bronze medal instead of Romania’s Ana Bărbosu.
After the competition, Team Romania filed an inquiry about Team USA‘s request to review Chiles’ score, arguing that the challenge wasn’t submitted within the 60-second limit.
On August 10, the Court of Arbitration ruled that Team USA’s appeal was four seconds late and reinstated her original score of 13.666, putting Bărbosu back in third place.
Business Insider reported that the IOC agreed with the court and released a statement that it is “in touch with the NOC of Romania to discuss the rellocation ceremony and with USOPC regarding the return of the bronze medal.”
USA Gymnastics and the US Olympic & Paralympic Committee released a joint statement defending Chiles and Landi’s original inquiry, writing, “The inquiry into the Difficulty Value of Jordan Chiles’ floor exercise routine was filed in good faith and, we believed, in accordance with FIG rules to ensure accurate scoring.”
USA Gymnastics released an additional statement on X (formerly known as Twitter) that Landi requested to file the inquiry 47 seconds after the publishing of Chiles’ score, writing, “The time-stamped video evidence submitted by USA Gymnastics Sunday evening shows Landi stated her request to file an inquiry at the inquiry table 47 seconds after the score is posted, followed by a second statement 55 scores after the score was originally posted.”
Since the original inquiry, Chiles has been the subject of harassment online from Romanian fans, and USA Today reported that on August 10, Chiles wrote on her Instagram story, “I am taking this time and removing myself from social media for my mental health thank you.”
Algerian boxer Imane Khelif’s sex became the subject of intense scrutiny at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Algerian boxer Imane Khelif faced scrutiny throughout the Olympics due to the spread of misinformation about her sex.
The controversy began after Italy’s Angela Carini withdrew from her competition against Khelif, refusing to shake her hand and saying she’d “never been hit with such a powerful punch.”
Carini’s actions subsequently reignited debate over a past decision by the International Boxing Association (IBA) to disqualify Khelif from the world championships in 2023.
The IBA — which was banned from the Olympic family in 2023 — said Khelif and Taiwanese boxer Lin Yu-ting failed “to meet the required necessary eligibility criteria and were found to have competitive advantages over other female competitors,” the Associated Press reported.
However, International Olympic Committee spokesman Mark Adams repeatedly defended Khalif and Yu-ting against the unspecified tests and the scrutiny facing the athletes.
“The whole process is flawed,” Adams said, per the AP, adding, “From the conception of the test, to how the test was shared with us, to how the tests have become public, is so flawed that it’s impossible to engage with.”
Khelif and Yu-ting went on to win gold medals in their respective weight classes.
Khelif wrote on Instagram, “From dreams to reality, the journey is gold. Proud to stand at the top for my country and the ones who believed. The fight never stops, only gets stronger.”
The AP also reported that she is filing a complaint over the abuse she faced throughout the games.
Eleven swimmers on China’s 2024 Olympic swimming team were named in a doping scandal from 2021.
Eleven members of China’s swim team for the 2024 Olympics were involved in a 2021 doping scandal, NBC reported.
These swimmers tested positive for trimetazidine, a banned drug that’s used to treat heart-related conditions, in 2021, but the results didn’t come to light until this year.
China said the athletes’ levels of trimetazidine were the result of contaminated food, which the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) accepted.
All of the athletes were allowed to compete in Tokyo, including Wang Shun who won the gold medal in the men’s 200-meter individual medley. He also won the bronze medal in the same event this year.
SwimSwam reported that Shun, through a translator, said “Chinese swimmers only compete cleanly.”
Paris Olympians finally swam in the Seine after continued concern over its pollution levels.
The city of Paris invested $1.5 billion to clean the River Seine, which had been closed to swimmers for more than a century due to pollution levels. Mayor Anne Hidalgo even swam in the water to prove its safety.
However, even after the 2024 Olympics got underway, there were concerns over the levels of E.coli and other bacteria in the river, and the men’s triathlon was rescheduled, the AP reported.
Olympic athletes ultimately swam in the Seine, but the reviews left something to be desired.
“While swimming under the bridge, I felt and saw things that we shouldn’t think about too much,” Jolien Vermeylen of Belgium told Dutch television station VTM, Metro reported.
A representative for Paris 2024 told Business Insider in a statement that “this project to make the Seine swimmable after 100 years is a major achievement.”
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