ABSTRACT
In 1998, only a decade after Ben JohnsonÕs dramat ic disqualification in the premier event of the Seoul Olympics, three incidents put performance enhancement in world-class, high-performance sport back into the spotlight. Following several years of suspicion and the 1994 disqualification of seven swimmers at the Asian Games in Hiroshima, a number of newspapers reported that Sydney customs officials had discovered 13 vials of the synthetic human growth hormone (hGH) somatropin (norditropin) in a bag apparently belonging to Yuan Yuan of the Chinese national swimming team.1 Detained briefly, the team continued its flight to Perth and despite the controlled nature of hGH the police did not lay any charges. Further investigation by the International Swimming Association led to Zhou Zhewen’s statement that he had packed the vials of growth hormone. Zhewen and Yuan received 15-and four-year suspensions respectively.2
