Olympic drug shame: The worst dopers in Olympic Games history

Following the treatment plan and misunderstandings. These are the excuses busted Olympic athletes turned to after being caught doping.

Some of the most notorious drug cheats of all time

The number of athletes barred from the Tokyo Games over failed drug tests has risen to six in the past week, but two Russian swim stars have been given an 11th hour reprieve.

Two-time Olympian Veronika Andrusenko and 25-year-old butterfly specialist Aleksandr Kudashev won’t compete under the Russian flag – owing to the country’s doping sanctions – but they will take to the pool in Tokyo after having their charges dismissed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

The pair were provisionally suspended by FINA for suspected anti-doping violations last week, but received the good news in time for Friday’s Olympic opening ceremony.

However, not all have avoided the wrath of WADA.

SCROLL DOWN FOR THE WORST OLYMPIC DOPERS OF ALL TIME?

Two-time Olympic weightlifter Fernando Reis, considered a strong medal chance in the men’s super-heavyweight category, is out after testing positive to human growth hormones – becoming the second Brazilian, after Nathasha Figueiredo, to test positive in recent weeks.

Figueiredo may yet feature in Tokyo in the women’s 49-kilogram category, with her doping ban currently under appeal before the CAS.

Ukrainian gymnast Oleg Verniaiev, who won gold in the parallel bars at Rio de Janeiro five years ago, this week confirmed his absence from the Olympic team was down to a positive test to meldonium, the banned substance which led to Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova’s shock drug ban five years ago.

“The most important question is how did the illegal drug get into my body?” Verniaiev said.

“Why did this happen at a time when there were no serious international competitions and training was held in a lightweight mode?

“A positive test only indicates the presence of a prohibited substance in the body, but does not indicate the fault of the athlete.

“If the athlete is sure that his fault is not, he should not give up.”

Reis and Verniaiev join rowing duo Nikita Morgachev and Pavel Sorin, who were excluded from the Russian team earlier this month after also testing positive to meldonium, and Kenyan runners Kamar Etiang and Moitalel Mpoke Naadokila, who were rubbed out after failing to meet the doping requirements of at least three out-of-competition tests within 10 months of a major championship.

WHO ARE THE WORST OLYMPIC DOPERS OF ALL TIME?

Originally published as Olympic drug shame: The worst dopers in Olympic Games history