Top 10 sensational drugs scandals in sport

5 Dwain Chambers

Chambers was branded a national disgrace after testing positive for tetrahydrogestrinone in 2003. He was banned for two years, fined and stripped of his medals which resulted in team-mates Darren Campbell, Marlon Devenish and Christian Malcolm also losing their golds for their 2002 World Championship relay success. After dismal spells in American Football, and Rugby League, Chambers made his second comeback last year, attempting to enter the Olympics – for which he received a lifetime ban. Having failed in his bid to run in Beijing, Chambers set his sights on competing at the London Olympics. Best of luck with that Dwain.

4 Marco Pantani

Despite being one of the greatest cycling climbers of all time, Pantani personified an era of drug-taking in cycling. Known as The Pirate for his aggressive style of cycling, facial hair and colourful taste in bandanas, Pantani became immersed in scandal when he failed a drugs test in the 1999 Guiro d'Italia. Doping scandals plagued him for the rest of his career and in 2004 he was found dead in a hotel room in Rimini, Italy. The month before he died the former Tour de France winner had spent 20,000 on cocaine, and his body contained six times the lethal level.

3 Marion Jones

Married a drugs cheat, was a drugs cheat, now a criminal. In 2000 Marion Jones was the golden-girl of athletics winning five gold meals at the Sydney Olympics. She later admitted to have been using drugs, although claimed she was clean when she won at Sydney. Unfortunately for Jones, her ex-husband CJ Hunter - also a drugs cheat - told a grand jury that he and Jones had been using drugs prior to the 2000 Olympics. She was stripped of her medals and in 2008 served a six months prison sentence for perjury.

2 Ben Johnson

In 1987 Carl Lewis beat Ben Johnson in the World Championships and stated that he would never again lose to Johnson. A year later in the 100m final at the 1988 Olympics, Lewis did in fact lose to Johnson – who set a new world record. Johnson famously boasted that he could have run faster had he not raised his hand before the finish line. Trouble is, he was on drugs. Caught three days later, he was exposed and disqualified.

1 Diego Maradona

In 1991 Maradona was banned for 15 months after failing a doping test for cocaine while playing for Napoli. He saw out his ban and was included in the Argentina squad for the 1994 World Cup. After scoring against Greece, Maradona ran towards the camera, screaming like a maniac, his eyes bulging out of their sockets. Alarm bells were ringing. He later tested positive for ephedrine and was sent home - where he continued to indulge in his cocaine habit.