When an Olympic medalist is caught doping, any medals he or she has won are usually ordered returned, to be awarded to the next finisher in line.
In many cases, however, a change to the official record does not take place until years after the medal ceremonies have ended. Some of the athletes here, later declared Olympic champions, went home from the Games with lesser medals. Others never got the chance to stand on the podium at all.
Since 1968, in at least 24 cases, athletes should
have won gold but did not receive the medal until later.
Athletes Who Retroactively Won Gold
1972
Munich
Munich
Brad Cooper
Swimming
Australia
1976
Montreal
Montreal
Pyotr Korol
Weight Lifting
Soviet Union
Yuri Zaitsev
Weight Lifting
Soviet Union
1988
Seoul
Seoul
Joachim Kunz
Weight Lifting
East Germany
Carl Lewis
100m
U.S.
OksenMirzoyan
Weight Lifting
Soviet Union
2000
Sydney
Sydney
SimonaAmanar
Gymnastics
Romania
Pauline Davis-Thompson
200m
Bahamas
Nigerian Team
4x400m
Tara Nott
Weight Lifting
U.S.
Brandon Slay
Wrestling
U.S.
2002
Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City
ThomasAlsgaard
Skiing
Norway
Frode Estil
Skiing
Norway
ChristianHoffmann
Skiing
Austria
Mikhail Ivanov
Skiing
Russia
GabriellaParuzzi
Skiing
Italy
Beckie Scott
Skiing
Canada
2004
Athens
Athens
American Team
Equestrian
YumileidiCumbá
Shot-Put
Cuba
Koji Murofushi
Hammer Throw
Japan
RodrigoPessoa
Equestrian
Brazil
2008
Beijing
Beijing
Asbel Kiprop
1,500m
Kenya
2012
London
London
Valerie Adams
Shot-Put
New Zealand
Jared Tallent
50km Walk
Australia
In at least 41 cases, athletes were
upgraded to the silver medal, sometimes
long after the official medals ceremony.
Athletes Who Retroactively Won Silver
1972
Munich
Munich
Steve Genter
Swimming
U.S.
1976
Montreal
Montreal
KrastiuSemerdzhiev
Weight Lifting
Bulgaria
Daniel Senet
Weight Lifting
France
TrendafilStoitchev
Weight Lifting
Bulgaria
1984
Los Angeles
Los Angeles
MichaelMcLeod
10,000m
Britain
RefikMemisevic
Wrestling
Yugoslavia
1988
Seoul
Seoul
LinfordChristie
100m
Britain
Yingqiang He
Weight Lifting
China
Sven Loll
Judo
East Germany
IsraelMilitosyan
Weight Lifting
Soviet Union
Nicu Vlad
Weight Lifting
Romania
2000
Sydney
Sydney
Jamaican Team
4x400m
SusanthikaJayasinghe
200m
Sri Lanka
TanyaLawrence
100m
Jamaica
Eui-Jae Moon
Wrestling
Korea
Maria Olaru
Gymnastics
Romania
RaemaRumbewas
Weight Lifting
Indonesia
EkateriniThanou
100m
Greece
Wenxiong Wu
Weight Lifting
China
2002
Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City
StefaniaBelmondo
Skiing
Italy
MikhailBotvinov
Skiing
Austria
KaterinaNeumannova
Skiing
Czech Republic
KaterinaNeumannova
Skiing
Czech Republic
Beckie Scott
Skiing
Canada
JulijaTchepalova
Skiing
Russia
AndrusVeerpalu
Skiing
Estonia
2004
Athens
Athens
Bobby Julich
Cycling
U.S.
Chris Kappler
Equestrian
U.S.
NadineKleinert
Shot-Put
Germany
Igor Razoronov
Weight Lifting
Ukraine
Swedish Team
Equestrian
Ivan Tsikhan
Hammer Throw
Belarus
2006
Torino
Torino
Martina Beck
Biathlon
Germany
2008
Beijing
Beijing
FabianCancellara
Cycling
Switzerland
HyleasFountain
Heptathlon
U.S.
Zongliang Tan
Shooting
China
Nicholas Willis
1,500m
New Zealand
2012
London
London
EvgeniiaKolodko
Shot-Put
Russia
Yanfeng Li
Discus Throw
China
Tianfeng Si
50km Walk
China
Trinidadian Team
4x100m
In at least 54 cases, athletes who were eventually
awarded a bronze missed out on the chance to
stand on the podium as an Olympic medalist.
Athletes Who Retroactively Won Bronze
1968
Mexico City
Mexico City
French Team
Pentathlon
1972
Munich
Munich
Tom McBreen
Swimming
U.S.
1976
Innsbruck
Innsbruck
NinaBaldycheva
Skiing
Soviet Union
1976
Montreal
Montreal
Peter Baczako
Weight Lifting
Hungary
KazimierzCzarnecki
Weight Lifting
Poland
TadueszRutkowski
Weight Lifting
Poland
1984
Los Angeles
Los Angeles
VictorDolipschi
Wrestling
Romania
Mike Musyoki
10,000m
Kenya
1988
Seoul
Seoul
PeterImmesberger
Weight Lifting
West Germany
Jinhe Li
Weight Lifting
China
Shoubin Liu
Weight Lifting
China
Calvin Smith
100m
U.S.
Michael Swain
Judo
U.S.
2000
Sydney
Sydney
Bahamian Team
4x400m
Adam Bereket
Wrestling
Turkey
AndreyChemerkin
Weight Lifting
Russia
Sri Indriyani
Weight Lifting
Indonesia
TatyanaKotova
Long Jump
Russia
Xuan Liu
Gymnastics
China
BeverlyMcDonald
200m
Jamaica
GennadyOleshchuk
Weight Lifting
Belarus
Merlene Ottey
100m
Jamaica
XiangxiangZhang
Weight Lifting
China
2002
Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City
Viola Bauer
Skiing
Germany
StefaniaBelmondo
Skiing
Italy
Per Elofsson
Skiing
Sweden
Odd-BjornHjelmeset
Skiing
Norway
KaterinaNeumannova
Skiing
Czech Republic
BenjamainRaich
Slalom
Austria
Bente Skari
Skiing
Norway
KristenSkjeldal
Skiing
Norway
JulijaTchepalova
Skiing
Russia
2004
Athens
Athens
Esref Apak
Hammer Throw
Turkey
ReyhanArabacioglu
Weight Lifting
Turkey
Australian Team
Rowing
German Team
Equestrian
MarcoKutscher
Equestrian
Germany
GlebPisarevskiy
Weight Lifting
Russia
V. Pospisilova-Cechlova
Discus Throw
Czech Republic
Israel Rubio
Weight Lifting
Venezuela
2006
Torino
Torino
AlbinaAkhatova
Biathlon
Russia
2008
Beijing
Beijing
DylanArmstrong
Shot-Put
Canada
Mehdi Baala
1,500m
France
TatyanaChernova
Heptathlon
Russia
Vladimir Isakov
Shooting
Russia
AlexandrKolobnev
Cycling
Russia
Swiss Team
Equestrian
Jason Turner
Shooting
U.S.
2012
London
London
Yarelys Barrios
Discus Throw
Cuba
French Team
4x100m
Lijiao Gong
Shot-Put
China
SiripuchGulnoi
Weight Lifting
Thailand
Gabor Hatos
Wrestling
Hungary
Rob Heffernan
50km Walk
Ireland
Here are the athletes whose medals
were taken away because of doping.
When gold medalists are caught doping, the effect of changing the official records is multiplied because every medal in their event is reassigned. Seven years after the 2000 Summer Olympics, Marion Jones was stripped of all five of her medals, three gold and two bronze. That ultimately affected the standing of seven other athletes.
Athletes Who Lost Their Medals Because of Doping
1968
Mexico City
Mexico City
Hans-GunnarLiljenwall
Pentathlon
Sweden
1972
Munich
Munich
Rick DeMont
Swimming
U.S.
BakhaavaaBuidaa
Judo
Mongolia
Aad Hoek
Cycling
Netherlands
JaimeHuelamo
Cycling
Spain
1976
Innsbruck
Innsbruck
GalinaKulakova
Skiing
Russia
1976
Montreal
Montreal
ValentinHristov
Weight Lifting
Bulgaria
ZbigniewKaczmarek
Weight Lifting
Poland
BlagoyBlagoev
Weight Lifting
Bulgaria
1984
Los Angeles
Los Angeles
TomasJohansson
Wrestling
Sweden
Martti Vainio
10,000m
Finland
1988
Seoul
Seoul
Mitko Grablev
Weight Lifting
Bulgaria
AngelGuenchev
Weight Lifting
Bulgaria
Ben Johnson
100m
Canada
Andor Szanyi
Weight Lifting
Hungary
Kerrith Brown
Judo
Britain
2000
Sydney
Sydney
IzabelaDragneva
Weight Lifting
Bulgaria
Marion Jones
100m
U.S.
Marion Jones
200m
U.S.
Marion Jones
4x400m
U.S.
AlexanderLeipold
Wrestling
Germany
AntonioPettigrew
4x400m
U.S.
AndreeaRaducan
Gymnastics
Romania
Ivan Ivanov
Weight Lifting
Bulgaria
LanceArmstrong
Cycling
U.S.
AshotDanielyan
Weight Lifting
Armenia
Marion Jones
Long Jump
U.S.
Marion Jones
4x100m
U.S.
SevdalinMinchev
Weight Lifting
Bulgaria
2002
Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City
Olga Danilova
Skiing
Russia
Larisa Lazutina
Skiing
Russia
JohannMuehlegg
Skiing
Spain
JohannMuehlegg
Skiing
Spain
JohannMuehlegg
Skiing
Spain
Olga Danilova
Skiing
Russia
Larisa Lazutina
Skiing
Russia
Larisa Lazutina
Skiing
Russia
Alain Baxter
Slalom
Britain
2004
Athens
Athens
Adrián Annus
Hammer Throw
Hungary
LudgerBeerbaum
Equestrian
Germany
Yuriy Bilonog
Shot-Put
Ukraine
Crystal Cox
4x400m
U.S.
Tyler Hamilton
Cycling
U.S.
IrinaKorzhanenko
Shot-Put
Russia
Cian O'Connor
Equestrian
Ireland
FerencGyurkovics
Weight Lifting
Hungary
Ivan Tsikhan
Hammer Throw
Belarus
SvetlanaKrivelyova
Shot-Put
Russia
OlenaOlefirenko
Rowing
Ukraine
OlegPerepetchenov
Weight Lifting
Russia
LeonidasSampanis
Weight Lifting
Greece
IrinaYatchenko
Discus Throw
Belarus
2006
Torino
Torino
Olga Pyleva
Biathlon
Russia
2008
Beijing
Beijing
Rashid Ramzi
1,500m
Bahrain
LyudmylaBlonska
Heptathlon
Ukraine
Jong Kim
Shooting
North Korea
Sibel Ozkan
Weight Lifting
Turkey
DavideRebellin
Cycling
Italy
Tony Hansen
Equestrian
Norway
Jong Kim
Shooting
North Korea
AndreiMikhnevich
Shot-Put
Belarus
2012
London
London
Asli Alptekin
1,500m
Turkey
SergeiKirdyapkin
50km Walk
Russia
NadzeyaOstapchuk
Shot-Put
Belarus
Tyson Gay
4x100m
U.S.
DaryaPishchalnikova
Discus Throw
Russia
Yulia Kalina
Weight Lifting
Ukraine
Soslan Tigiev
Wrestling
Uzbekistan
Sometimes it takes years for
athletes to receive their medals.
Before the 2000 Sydney Games, most of the doping violations were caught during or shortly after the Olympics. More recently, old samples have been retested using modern methods of analysis, leading officials to reassign medals long after the Games ended.
In total, 42 medals were stripped after the closing ceremonies. In 31 cases, medals were stripped more than a year after the end of the Games.
How Long It Took Before Medals Were Stripped
Chinese athletes were cheated out of 10 medals,
but never had to surrender one because of doping.
Since 1968, Olympic medalists from Russia and the United States were caught doping the most, but those countries also gained a similar number of upgraded medals.
China
|
0
|
10
|
+10
|
France
|
0
|
4
|
+4
|
Jamaica
|
0
|
4
|
+4
|
Norway
|
1
|
5
|
+4
|
Czech Republic
|
0
|
4
|
+4
|
Australia
|
0
|
3
|
+3
|
Austria
|
0
|
3
|
+3
|
Germany
|
2
|
5
|
+3
|
Romania
|
1
|
4
|
+3
|
U.S.
|
11
|
13
|
+2
|
Bahamas
|
0
|
2
|
+2
|
Canada
|
1
|
3
|
+2
|
East Germany
|
0
|
2
|
+2
|
Indonesia
|
0
|
2
|
+2
|
Italy
|
1
|
3
|
+2
|
Kenya
|
0
|
2
|
+2
|
New Zealand
|
0
|
2
|
+2
|
Switzerland
|
0
|
2
|
+2
|
Cuba
|
0
|
2
|
+2
|
Brazil
|
0
|
1
|
+1
|
Estonia
|
0
|
1
|
+1
|
Japan
|
0
|
1
|
+1
|
Korea
|
0
|
1
|
+1
|
Nigeria
|
0
|
1
|
+1
|
Sri Lanka
|
0
|
1
|
+1
|
Thailand
|
0
|
1
|
+1
|
Trinidad and Tobago
|
0
|
1
|
+1
|
Turkey
|
2
|
3
|
+1
|
Venezuela
|
0
|
1
|
+1
|
West Germany
|
0
|
1
|
+1
|
Yugoslavia
|
0
|
1
|
+1
|
Poland
|
1
|
2
|
+1
|
Britain
|
2
|
2
|
0
|
Russia/Soviet Union
|
12
|
12
|
0
|
Greece
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
Ireland
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
Sweden
|
2
|
2
|
0
|
Unified Team
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
Armenia
|
1
|
0
|
–1
|
Bahrain
|
1
|
0
|
–1
|
Finland
|
1
|
0
|
–1
|
Hungary
|
3
|
2
|
–1
|
Netherlands
|
1
|
0
|
–1
|
Uzbekistan
|
1
|
0
|
–1
|
Belarus
|
4
|
2
|
–2
|
North Korea
|
2
|
0
|
–2
|
Ukraine
|
4
|
1
|
–3
|
Spain
|
4
|
0
|
–4
|
Bulgaria
|
7
|
2
|
–5
|
