The 1987 World Championships in Athletics in Rome marked a pivotal moment in the careers of two of track and field's most prominent sprinters: Carl Lewis and Ben Johnson. While Lewis had dominated the sport for years, particularly in the long jump, Johnson emerged as a formidable challenger in the 100-meter sprint. Their rivalry, intensified by Johnson's record-breaking performance and Lewis's subsequent accusations, cast a long shadow over the sport,
ultimately leading to one of its most infamous doping scandals. This period not only redefined their individual legacies but also brought the issue of performance-enhancing drugs to the forefront of public discussion in athletics.
The Rise of a Rivalry
Carl Lewis had established himself as a dominant force in track and field since the early 1980s, consistently topping world rankings in the 100m, 200m, and long jump. His low-altitude record in the 100m had been surpassed by Mel Lattany before the 1984 Olympics, but his most significant challenge came from Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson. Johnson, who had earned a bronze medal behind Lewis at the 1984 Olympics, began to assert his dominance in the mid-1980s.In 1985, Johnson defeated Lewis once, though Lewis still maintained his number one ranking that year, with Johnson placing second. The following year, 1986, saw a more decisive shift. Johnson convincingly defeated Lewis at the Goodwill Games in Moscow, setting a new low-altitude record of 9.95 seconds. By the end of 1986, Johnson was ranked number one in the 100m, while Lewis had fallen to number three, having lost more races than he won. Even in his stronghold, the long jump, Lewis seemed vulnerable, despite remaining undefeated in the event for the year, as he competed sparingly. He ended up ranked second behind Soviet Robert Emmiyan, who achieved the longest legal jump of the year at 8.61 meters.
The Rome Showdown of 1987
The stage was set for a dramatic confrontation at the 1987 World Championships in Athletics in Rome. Lewis, strategically, chose to skip the 200m event to concentrate on his strongest discipline, the long jump. This decision was not merely to silence critics from the 1984 long jump controversy but also due to the presence of Robert Emmiyan, who had achieved the second-longest long jump in history, 8.86 meters at altitude in May, just 4 centimeters shy of Bob Beamon's long-standing record. In the long jump final, Lewis ensured he took all his attempts, ultimately winning with a leap of 8.67 meters, surpassing Emmiyan's best of 8.53 meters. Lewis consistently performed, clearing 8.60 meters four times during the competition. He also anchored the gold-medal-winning 4x100m relay team, which clocked a time of 37.90 seconds, the third-fastest ever.However, the most anticipated and dramatic event was the 100m final. Leading up to Rome, Johnson had run under 10.00 seconds three times that year, a feat Lewis had not managed. Lewis, despite this, showed strong form in the heats, setting a Championship record in the semi-final with a 10.03-second effort, even running into a headwind. The final, however, delivered a stunning result: Johnson won with an astonishing 9.83 seconds, setting a new world record. Lewis, finishing second with 9.93 seconds, had tied the existing world record, but it was not enough to secure victory.
Accusations and Aftermath
In the immediate aftermath of his defeat, while Johnson celebrated his world record, Carl Lewis began to offer explanations for his loss. He initially claimed Johnson had false-started, then cited a stomach virus that he said had weakened him. Eventually, without directly naming anyone, Lewis publicly voiced suspicions about performance-enhancing drugs, stating, "There are a lot of people coming out of nowhere. I don't think they are doing it without drugs." He provocatively added, "I could run 9.8 or faster in the 100 if I could jump into drugs right away." This marked the beginning of Lewis's vocal campaign for the elimination of illegal drug use in track and field.Critics, however, pointed out that the issue of doping had been present in the sport for many years, and Lewis's strong stance only emerged after he was defeated. In response to Lewis's veiled accusations, Johnson retorted, "When Carl Lewis was winning everything, I never said a word against him. And when the next guy comes along and beats me, I won't complain about that either." The controversy surrounding the 1987 World Championships would intensify the following year at the Seoul Olympics, where Johnson's positive drug test would ultimately lead to his disqualification and the stripping of his medals and records, including the 1987 World Championship title. This event retroactively made Lewis the 1987 100m World Champion and, for a period, the world record holder for his 1988 Olympic performance, highlighting the profound impact of doping on athletic achievements and historical records. The 1987 race, therefore, became a symbol of both athletic prowess and the dark side of competition. The IAAF later stripped Johnson of his record and gold medal from the World Championships, declaring Lewis the 1987 100m World Champion and crediting him with twice tying the "true" world record of 9.93 seconds for his 1987 performance and again at the 1988 Zürich meet where he defeated Johnson, though these times were never officially ratified as records. From January 1, 1990, Lewis was recognized as the world record holder in the 100m, a record that was later broken in 1991 by Leroy Burrell. This period underscored the ongoing struggle against doping and its ability to rewrite sports history. The events of 1987 and 1988 cemented the rivalry between Lewis and Johnson as one of the most significant and controversial in track and field history. The public accusations and subsequent revelations brought a much-needed, albeit painful, spotlight on the pervasive issue of performance-enhancing drugs in elite sports. Lewis's outspokenness, while initially met with skepticism by some, ultimately contributed to a broader conversation about integrity and fair play in athletics. The retroactive awarding of titles and records to Lewis served as a stark reminder of how doping can distort the true measure of athletic achievement and the importance of rigorous anti-doping measures. The legacy of the 1987 World Championships is thus intertwined with the complex narrative of competition, ambition, and the enduring fight for a clean sport. The impact of these events resonated for years, influencing anti-doping policies and shaping public perception of track and field.
