The Most Shameless Cheating Scandals That Rocked the Sports World
Cheating in sports breaks trust. Fans expect fairness, and when that’s gone, the damage is serious. These scandals were planned, often covered up, and left lasting marks on teams, athletes, and entire sports. Their details are surprising.
Spain’s Paralympic Basketball Team Included Non-Disabled Players
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At the 2000 Sydney Paralympics, Spain’s basketball team competed in the intellectual disability division and won the gold medal. However, 10 of the 12 players weren’t disabled. The deception led to disqualification and a suspension of the entire category until 2012. This cost many legitimate athletes years of opportunity.
Houston Astros Used Video Feed and Trash Can Signals
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In 2017, the Houston Astros used a live camera feed to decode catchers’ signals and relay pitch types to hitters by banging on a trash can. MLB later confirmed the scheme, issued fines, and suspended staff members, but the team retained its World Series title.
Lance Armstrong Led a Long-Term Doping Program
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Lance Armstrong won seven consecutive Tour de France titles while heading a well-organized doping system involving teammates and doctors. After years of defiant denial, he admitted in 2013 to using banned substances. He was stripped of all his titles and became one of sport’s most infamous cautionary tales.
Tonya Harding’s Associates Orchestrated Physical Assault
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Weeks before the 1994 Winter Olympics, Nancy Kerrigan was hit in the leg by an assailant connected to Tonya Harding’s ex-husband. Kerrigan recovered to win silver, while Harding denied any knowledge of the plan. She avoided jail but was fined, placed on probation, and barred from competing in figure skating.
Marion Jones Admitted to Steroid Use After Years of Denial
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After winning five medals at the 2000 Olympics, Marion Jones admitted in 2007 to using performance-enhancing drugs. She returned all her medals, her results were annulled, and she served six months in prison for lying to federal investigators.
Pete Rose Bet On Games While Managing The Reds
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Pete Rose managed the Cincinnati Reds while secretly betting on games, including those involving his own team. In 1989, he was permanently banned from baseball. He denied the accusations for 15 years before finally admitting the truth in 2004. He also remains barred from the Hall of Fame.
Boris Onishchenko’s Fencing Weapon Was Rigged To Register False Hits
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At the 1976 Olympics, Soviet athlete Boris Onishchenko used a modified fencing épée to register touches without making physical contact. Once discovered, he was disqualified and expelled from the Games. The scandal led to tighter equipment checks in fencing.
Eight Chicago White Sox Players Threw The 1919 World Series
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In 1919, eight White Sox players were accused of accepting bribes to lose the World Series. Though acquitted in court, all were permanently banned from Major League Baseball. The scandal led to the creation of a league commissioner.
Ben Johnson Lost His Olympic Gold Medal For Steroid Use
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Ben Johnson set a world record and won gold in the 100-meter sprint at the 1988 Seoul Olympics. But drug tests found he had used steroids. His medal was stripped, and Carl Lewis was declared the winner. Johnson later accused others of doping, but his reputation never recovered.
FIFA Officials Took Bribes In Exchange For World Cup Hosting Rights
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In 2015, U.S. prosecutors revealed that FIFA officials had accepted millions in bribes for tournament marketing rights and World Cup hosting decisions. The fallout led to arrests, bans, and the resignation of longtime president Sepp Blatter.