In sports venues around the world, it is not only the stories of heroes and winners that are being written. But history also remembers the rogues who were so blinded by the vision of glory and success that they spat on the rules of fair play.
Fraud and cheats are as intrinsic to sport as a white foam cap is to a good beer. They were always here, they are still here, and they will certainly not disappear in the future. While there is not much we can write about future cheaters, there is plenty we can write about those who have cheated in the past. The following chapters feature ten athletes who are more famous for their scams than their performances.
Soviet modern pentathlete Boris Onishenko perpetrated an elaborate hoax at the 1976 Montreal Olympics on a grand scale. He had modified his sword and scored points for his opponent’s hits in fencing duels by pressing a button ingeniously hidden in the weapon’s handle.
An electronic device reported a hit even if the tip never touched the opponent. His trick didn’t work in the end. His opponents found it strange that Onishenko was getting hits for fencing in the air; they initiated a cord check. The trick was discovered, and the Soviet was disqualified from the games.
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