Voting Station

Ben Johnson (Sprinter)

Please vote to return to collections.

Athlete

The Resume

    (December 30, 1961- )
    Emigrated to Canada (1976)
    100 meters sprinter
    World Record 9.82 seconds (1987), which he forfeited in 1989
    Won at the 1988 Olympics, running 9.79, but was discredited and forfeited the Gold Medal

Why he might be annoying:

    After imitating his older brother's stammer, he became a stutterer at 12.
    He is the highest profiled athlete ever forced to return an Olympic Medal for illegal drug use (1988).
    After returning to Canada, the Olympic officials tested his urine samples.
    Samples are collect in two bottles marked 'A' and 'B' with a registration number, so the testers do not know who's urine they are testing.
    When the international panel found the 'A' specimen to contain steroids, they called in the Canadian representatives and tested the 'B' bottle.
    It also was contaminated by steroids and thus Johnson was proven to use steroids and was told to return his medal.
    After returning clean of drugs (1991) and performing poorly, he again resorted to drugs, resulting in a ban for life (Montreal, 1993).
    Trying to make a comeback in 1999, he paid for his own drug test and failed it, he claimed the drug he was taking was prescribed by a doctor.

Why he might not be annoying:

    He broke the world record of 9.93 seconds for running the 100 meter dash, by an incredible 1/10 of a second (9.83, 1987).
    (Carl Lewis, who ran that race tying the old world record time of 9.93 seconds, indicated that someone must have taken performance enhancement drugs.)
    Many thought Lewis was just a poor sport and Johnson became an instant celebrity.
    At the Olympics, he ran the 100 meters in 9.79, beating Carl Lewis who ran it in 9.92.
    Johnson had become a hero, winning the Gold medal for Canada.
    He did admit to steroid use and tried to make an unsuccessful comeback in 1991, cleaned of drugs.
    He was robbed of his wallet and $4,900 by gypsy children in Rome, he caught one child but the rest were able to out run him (July 12, 2000).

Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 1 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 6 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 4 Votes: 75.00% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 4 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 2 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 13 Votes: 46.15% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 4 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 9 Votes: 55.56% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 15 Votes: 60.0% Annoying
    In 2013, Out of 23 Votes: 60.87% Annoying
    In 2012, Out of 14 Votes: 57.14% Annoying
    In 2011, Out of 27 Votes: 44.44% Annoying
    In 2010, Out of 91 Votes: 67.03% Annoying
    In 2009, Out of 70 Votes: 65.71% Annoying
    In 2008, Out of 54 Votes: 74.07% Annoying
    In 2007, Out of 126 Votes: 76.98% Annoying
    In 2006, Out of 181 Votes: 75.14% Annoying
    In 2005, Out of 318 Votes: 69.50% Annoying
    In 2004, Out of 443 Votes: 69.98% Annoying
    In 2003, Out of 769 Votes: 70.09% Annoying
    In 2002, Out of 1954 Votes: 73.29% Annoying
    In 2001, Out of 3245 Votes: 76.02% Annoying