Title/Author:
“The
Dirtiest Race In History: Ben Johnson, Carl Lewis and the 1988 Olympic 100 M
Final” by Richard Moore
Genre:
Track and
Field, Summer Olympics, performance enhancing drugs, politics, Ben Johnson,
Carl Lewis
Published:
June 7, 2012
Length:
336 pages
Rating:
4 of 5
stars (very good)
Review
The 100
meter final in the 1988 Olympics in Seoul has been called the greatest race in
the history of track and field. Ben
Johnson of Canada and Carl Lewis of the United States headlined the event,
which resulted in Johnson winning the gold medal with a world record time of
9.79 seconds. However, the post race
drug testing found that Johnson had traces of illegal substances in his urine
and was disqualified. This book by
Richard Moore examines the activities and training of these two men and how it
ultimately leads to the event being a historical one for completely different
reasons.
Moore researches the lives and training of both Lewis and Johnson thoroughly. Nothing is left untouched – their workout
routines, the trainers each used, the methods used by those trainers and yes,
the substances that were used as well.
While most remember Johnson’s disqualification, it is worth noting that
the author does not paint a rosy picture of Lewis for this topic either. Lewis was also found to have traces of banned
substances after the US Olympic trials, but he was able to compete due to
officials accepting his explanation. It
should be noted that athletes were given chances to explain the presence of the
substance in their samples, including during the Olympics, and Lewis’ was
deemed satisfactory.
The
stories of the two main runners were richly portrayed. I was especially enamored with Moore’s
portrayal of Lewis and how he reacted to the negative media he often received,
including his lack of sponsorship opportunities after winning four gold medals
in the 1984 Olympics. Both Lewis and
Johnson are thoroughly examined in the book.
A very good book that is a great read for not only sports fans, but
those who like to dig deeper into controversial topics.
Did I skim?
No
Did I learn anything new?
Yes –
while I was aware of the rivalry between Johnson and Lewis, I did not realize
how much bitterness there was between the two athletes, especially on the part
of Johnson toward Lewis. Also, this
book will reveal the identity of the “mystery man” who was with Johnson during
the drug testing immediately after the 100 m final. Now, of course I am not going to reveal that
if you don’t already know – you have to read the book!
Pace of the book:
Good for
the most part. Some of the sections on
the trainers and the science behind the drugs was a bit heavy and slowed the
book down.
Positives:
Excellent
research and insight into the two athletes, especially Johnson. Other runners in that 100 m final such as
Calvin Smith are also covered well.
Negatives:
Only the
aforementioned parts of the science behind the drugs. While interesting and an important part of
the story, I felt that those without the background knowledge would be lost
reading this section.
Do I recommend?
Yes, for
track and field fans and also those who enjoy the Olympics, whether watching or
researching history.
Ebook
(Nook)
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