Coverage of the Olympic Games

Photos: Dope On The Playing Field

On Sunday, August 17, Greek hurdler and Olympic record holder Fani Halkia became the most recent in a long line of champion athletes to test positive for a banned substance. A brief history of banned substances and sport.

When victory is measured in milliseconds, even a slight competitive edge can mean everything. Improvements in training, technique and equipment technology have ushered in new generations of record-breakers and been integral in making competitive sport what it is today. But some athletes have crossed regulatory and legal lines in their quests for glory. Following is a selection of sport-doping scandals that shook the athletic world.