The Most Shocking Steroid Busts In The History Of Sports
The level of competition in professional sports affects players in different ways…some positively and others negatively. For those looking to take the easy way out and improve their performance, using steroids seems like the logical thing to do.
However, many of these athletes do not consider the long term health effects and the potential damage it can do to their legacy.
Regardless of whether you believe athletes should be able to use performance enhancing drugs or not, one must recognize the fact that is not tolerated in the world of sports and those who decide to take that route must be held accountable for their actions.
Tom Cooper | Elite.
10. Andy Pettitte
In 2007, Yankee pitcher Andy Pettitte addressed the public and shockingly admitted to using human growth hormone in 2002 and 2004 in order to recover from injuries. Pettitte, however, still denies ever using steroids.
9. Roger Clemens
Roger Clemons tops the list because he was once revered as one of the greatest pitchers in Major League Baseball history until he was accused by the Mitchell Report, claiming he took anabolic steroids during the late 1990s and early 2000s.
8. Marion Jones
A once decorated Olympian, Marion Jones became the first woman ever to win a total of five medals at the 2000 Sydney Olympic games, but was later stripped of her titles when she admitted in 2007 to using banned substances.
7. Barry Bonds
What is probably more shocking than Barry Bonds' actual steroid use is his continuing denial. Hard to imagine how a professional athlete "unknowingly" takes a performance enhancing drug.
6. Ben Johnson
Only three days after winning the 1988 Olympic gold for the 100m in just 9.79 seconds, Ben Johnson tested positive for stanozolol and stripped of his gold medal as well as his previous 1987 World Championship title.
5. A-Rod
Regarded as one of the best baseball players of all time in recent history,Alex Rodriguez shocked many when he admitted in 2009 that he had tested positive in 2003 for steroids.
4. Shawne Merriman
After a historic first year NFL season, including being named the 2005 Defensive Rookie of the Year, Shawne Merriman was suspended in 2006 for testing positive for an anabolic steroid and received a four game suspension. The NFL later ruled that any player who tests positive for steroids cannot be selected to the Pro Bowl or given a performance award in the year they test positive.
3. Floyd Landis
After winning the 2006 Tour de France, disgraced U.S. cyclist, Floyd Landis, had a urine test come back positive for performance enhancement and was stripped of his title.
2. Jason Giamb
Jason Giambi was a huge power hitter during the late 1990s and early 2000s but was named in the BALCO scandal in 2003 for using Clomid, commonly used by male athletes to restore the body's natural production of testosterone.
1. Lance Armstrong
7 time Tour De France winner and founder of the Livestrong foundation, Lance Armstrong earns #1 on our list of most shocking steroid busts. The legendary cyclist came clean on the Oprah show after having his titles stripped and being forced to step away from his foundation.
