In the buildup to the 1988 Seoul Olympics, Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson was the prohibitive favorite to win gold in the 100-meter sprint, having set a world record the year before at the World Championships. Many companies vied to tie their name to his speedy frame, and his coach estimated that Johnson was bringing in a cool $480,000 a month in endorsement money from companies such as the Italian family-owned sports company Diadora.
Once the Olympics began that September, the sponsors must have been high-fiving one another as Johnson, on the biggest stage in sports, broke his own 100-meter record by running a 9.79, which won him the gold medal.
He should have kept running, right out of the stadium and to a safe hiding place. Test of his urine found evidence that Johnson had been using steroids. He was stripped of his medal, his time was disallowed, and after further investigation, his 1987 world record was also invalidated. Diadora pulled its $2 million contract, and other sponsors followed suit. Johnson ended up living in his mother's basement, and Diadora probably made a bonfire of its Ben Johnson campaign.
The aftermath of this scandal is felt even today, as baseball and cycling struggle to overcome the same pollution of competition and incredulity of their fans. There's not a company in the world that yearns to cultivate the brand 'cheater'.
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