Drug testing at the Olympics began in 1968. As of the 2020 Summer Games in Tokyo, Japan, there have been 442 positive doping tests, resulting in the loss of 173 medals (57 gold, 66 silver, and 50 bronze) over 28 Games in 52 years.
Russian athletes have most often tested positive, with 133 positive doping results, and have had the most medals stripped from athletes at 63 total (17 gold, 34 silver, and 12 bronze).
The most positive tests are found in athletics (track and field), with 172 positive tests and 59 lost medals (22 gold, 23 silver, and 14 bronze).
Turinabol, an androgenic anabolic steroid, is the drug most associated with positive doping tests, showing up in 65 tests by itself, and in nine drug cocktails for another 35 positive tests. All-in-all positive results showing turinabol resulted in the loss of 54 medals (8 gold, 24 silver, and 22 bronze).
Below, explore positive doping results by Games, country, sport, and drug(s) or drug offense.
Olympics Doping Cases by Games
| Year | Games | City & Country | Positive Doping Results | Medals Stripped | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
TOTALS | 52years | 28 games | 28 cities & | 442 | 173 total |
| 2020 | Summer | Tokyo, Japan | 9 | 4 silver | |
| 2018 | Winter | PyeongChang, South Korea | 4 | 1 bronze | |
| 2016 | Summer | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 16 | 1 silver 3 bronze |
|
| 2014 | Winter | Sochi, Russia | 55 | 8 gold 12 silver 1 bronze |
|
| 2012 | Summer | London, England | 132 | 13 gold 17 silver* 11 bronze |
|
| 2010 | Winter | Vancouver, Canada | 6 | ||
| 2008 | Summer | Beijing, China | 91 | 9 gold 20 silver 19 bronze |
|
| 2006 | Winter | Turin, Italy | 8 | 1 silver | |
| 2004 | Summer | Athens, Greece | 37 | 8 gold 2 silver 5 bronze |
|
| 2002 | Winter | Salt Lake City, United States | 10 | 5 gold 3 silver 1 bronze |
|
| 2000 | Summer | Sydney, Australia | 15 | 8 gold 1 silver 5 bronze |
|
| 1998 | Winter | Nagano, Japan | 0 | ||
| 1996 | Summer | Atlanta, United States | 7 | ||
| 1994 | Winter | Lillehammer, Norway | 0 | ||
| 1992 | Summer | Barcelona, Spain | 5 | ||
| 1992 | Winter | Albertville, France | 0 | ||
| 1988 | Summer | Seoul, South Korea | 10 | 3 gold 1 silver |
|
| 1988 | Winter | Calgary, Canada | 1 | ||
| 1984 | Summer | Los Angeles, United States | 12 | 2 silver | |
| 1984 | Winter | Sarajevo, Bosnia | 1 | ||
| 1980 | Summer | Moscow, Russia | 0 | ||
| 1980 | Winter | Lake Placid, United States | 0 | ||
| 1976 | Summer | Montreal, Canada | 11 | 2 gold 1 silver |
|
| 1976 | Winter | Innsbruck, Austria | 3 | 1 bronze | |
| 1972 | Summer | Munich, Germany | 7 | 1 gold 1 silver 2 bronze |
|
| 1972 | Winter | Sapporo, Japan | 1 | ||
| 1968 | Summer | Mexico City, Mexico | 1 | 1 bronze | |
| 1968 | Winter | Grenoble, France | 0 |
*including 1 retained due to athlete’s death following year
Olympics Doping Cases by Country
| Country | Positive Doping Results | Medals Stripped |
|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan | 1 | |
| Albania | 2 | |
| Algeria | 1 | |
| Armenia | 6 | 3 bronze |
| Australia | 2 | |
| Austria | 13 | |
| Azerbaijan | 7 | 1 silver 1 bronze |
| Bahrain | 2 | 1 gold |
| Belarus | 27 | 2 gold 2 silver 6 bronze |
| Brazil | 6 | 2 silver |
| Bulgaria | 10 | 4 gold 2 silver 1 bronze |
| Canada | 1 | 1 gold |
| China | 6 | 3 gold |
| Colombia | 2 | |
| Croatia | 1 | |
| Cuba | 2 | 1 silver |
| Cyprus | 1 | |
| Czechoslovakia | 3 | |
| Finland | 1 | 1 silver |
| France | 1 | |
| Georgia | 3 | 1 silver |
| Germany | 1 | 2 gold |
| England | 3 | 2 silver 1 bronze |
| Greece | 11 | 2 bronze |
| Hungary | 7 | 2 gold 2 silver |
| Iceland | 1 | |
| India | 3 | |
| Iran | ||
| Ireland | 3 | 1 gold |
| Italy | 6 | 1 silver |
| Jamaica | 1 | 1 gold |
| Japan | 3 | |
| Kazakhstan | 13 | 5 gold 2 silver 2 bronze |
| Kenya | 2 | |
| Kyrgyzstan | 2 | 1 bronze |
| Latvia | 1 | |
| Lebanon | 1 | |
| Lithuania | 2 | 1 silver |
| Moldova | 1 | 3 bronze |
| Monaco | 1 | |
| Mongolia | 1 | 1 silver |
| Morocco | 3 | |
| Myanmar | 1 | |
| Netherlands | 1 | 1 bronze |
| Nigeria | 1 | |
| North Korea | 1 | |
| Norway | 3 | 1 bronze |
| Olympic Athletes from Russia | 2 | 1 bronze |
| Poland | 8 | 1 gold |
| Puerto Rico | 2 | |
| Qatar | 2 | |
| Romania | 7 | 1 gold 1 silver 2 bronze |
| Russia | 133 | 17 gold 34 silver* 12 bronze |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | 1 | |
| Saudi Arabia | 2 | |
| Slovenia | 3 | |
| Soviet Union | 1 | 1 bronze |
| Spain | 8 | 3 gold 1 bronze |
| Sweden | 5 | 1 silver 1 bronze |
| Switzerland | 1 | |
| Syria | 1 | |
| Tajikistan | 1 | |
| Trinidad and Tobago | 1 | |
| Turkey | 19 | 1 gold 4 silver |
| Ukraine | 27 | 2 gold 4 silver 5 bronze |
| Unified Team | 1 | |
| United States | 18 | 8 gold 1 silver 3 bronze |
| Uzbekistan | 1 | 2 gold 1 silver 1 bronze |
| Vietnam | 1 | |
| West Germany | 1 |
*including 1 retained due to athlete’s death following year
Olympics Doping Cases by Sport
| Sport | Positive Doping Results | Medals Stripped |
|---|---|---|
| Alpine Skiing | 1 | 1 bronze |
| Athletics (Track & Field) | 172 | 22 gold 23 silver 14 bronze |
| Baseball | 2 | |
| Basketball | 1 | |
| Biathlon | 15 | 5 silver |
| Bobsleigh | 5 | 6 gold |
| Boxing | 1 | 1 silver |
| Canoeing | 1 | 1 silver 1 bronze |
| Cross-Country Skiing | 10 | 6 gold 7 silver 1 bronze |
| Cycling | 12 | 1 gold 1 silver 3 bronze |
| Equestrian | 1 | 2 gold 1 bronze |
| Gymnastics | 1 | 1 gold |
| Ice Hockey | 17 | |
| Judo | 1 | 1 silver |
| Luge | 2 | 3 silver |
| Curling | 1 | 1 bronze |
| Modern Pentathlon | 4 | 2 bronze |
| Rowing | 4 | 1 bronze |
| Sailing | 1 | |
| Shooting | 2 | 1 silver 1 bronze |
| Skeleton | 1 | 1 gold 1 bronze |
| Speed Skating | 5 | 1 silver |
| Swimming | 4 | 1 gold |
| Triathlon | 2 | |
| Volleyball | 4 | 2 silver |
| Weightlifting | 106 | 14 gold 14 silver 21 bronze |
| Wrestling | 18 | 3 gold 8 silver* 2 bronze |
*including 1 retained due to athlete’s death following year
Olympics Doping Cases by Drug(s) or Drug Offense
| Drug(s) or Drug Offense | Positive Doping Results | Medals Stripped |
|---|---|---|
| "Blast Off Red" | 1 | |
| Acetazolamide | 3 | 1 silver |
| Administration of prohibited substances | 1 | |
| Amphetamine | 3 | |
| Anabolic agents and hormones | 1 gold | |
| Anabolic androgenic steroids | 1 | 1 silver |
| Anabolic steroid | 14 | 2 gold 1 silver |
| Antipsychotics (to horse Waterford Crystal) | 1 gold | |
| BALCO investigation | 3 | |
| Betamethasone (to horse Goldfever) | 1 gold | |
| Biological passport abnormalities | 34 | 3 gold 2 silver |
| blood tranfusions | 3 | |
| Caffeine | 1 | |
| Cannabis | 1 | |
| Capsaicin | 4 | 1 bronze |
| Carphedon | 1 | 1 silver |
| Cathine | 1 | |
| CERA | 1 | 1 gold 1 silver |
| Chlorodehydromethyltestosterone, Metandienone and Tamoxifen | 1 | |
| Clenbuterol | 6 | 1 bronze |
| Clenbuterol, Methandienone and Oxandrolone | 2 | 1 bronze |
| Codeine, Morphine | 1 | |
| Coramine | 2 | 2 bronze |
| Darbepoetin | 3 | 5 gold 3 silver |
| Dehydrochloromethyltestosterone | 1 | |
| Dianabol | 1 | 1 silver |
| Disappearing Sample | 43 | 8 gold 12 silver 1 bronze |
| Diuretic | 1 | |
| Drostanolone | 1 | |
| Drostanolone & Stanozolol | 1 | |
| Enobosarm | 1 | 2 silver |
| Ephedrine | 5 | 1 gold 1 bronze |
| Ephedrine and pseudoephedrine | 1 | |
| EPO | 13 | |
| EPO and HGH | 1 | 1 gold |
| Erythropoietin | 7 | |
| Ethamivan | 1 | 1 bronze |
| Ethanol | 1 | 1 bronze |
| Evasion of doping control | 1 | 1 gold |
| Exogenous testosterone | 2 | |
| Felbinac | 1 | |
| Fencamfamine | 1 | |
| Fenfluramine | 1 | |
| Fenoterol | 1 | |
| Furosemide | 13 | 3 gold 1 silver 1 bronze |
| GHRP-2 | 1 | 1 bronze |
| GHRP-2 , Metabolite & Sibutramine | 1 | 1 gold |
| GHRP-2 & Metabolite | 3 | 2 gold |
| HGH | 1 | |
| Hydrochlorothiazide | 1 | |
| Meldonium | 1 | 1 bronze |
| Mesocarb | 1 | |
| Metadienone | 1 | |
| Metandienone & Stanozolol | 1 | 1 silver |
| Metenolone & Stanozolol | 2 | 1 silver |
| Methamphetamine | 1 | 1 bronze |
| Methandienone | 5 | 1 silver 1 bronze |
| Methenolone | 3 | 1 gold 2 silver |
| Methylhexanamine | 8 | 1 gold 1 bronze |
| Methyltestosterone | 1 | 1 silver |
| Methyltrienolone | 1 | |
| n/a | 19 | 1 gold 3 silver 2 bronze |
| Nandrolone | 17 | 2 gold |
| Nikethamide | 1 | |
| Nonivamide | 1 | |
| Norandrosterone and noretiochdandone | 1 | |
| Norephedrine | 1 | |
| Oxandrolone | 6 | 1 gold 2 silver 1 bronze |
| Pemoline | 1 | |
| Phenylpropanolamine | 1 | |
| Possession and use or attempted use of a prohibited substance or method | 1 | |
| Possession of a prohibited substance or method | 5 | |
| Possession of blood-transfusion equipment | 2 | |
| Propanolol | 2 | 1 silver 1 bronze |
| Pseudoephedrine | 2 | 1 gold |
| Refused to submit sample | 2 | 1 gold |
| S-13 & Enobosarm | 1 | 2 silver |
| Stanozolol | 29 | 5 gold 3 silver 3 bronze |
| Stanozolol & Oxandrolone | 1 | 1 gold |
| Stanozolol, Oxandrolone & Turinabol | 1 | |
| Stimulant | 1 | |
| Strychnine | 2 | 1 bronze |
| Tampering with doping control | 1 | |
| Testosterone | 10 | 1 bronze |
| THG | 1 | 3 gold 2 bronze |
| trimetazidine | 3 | |
| Tuaminoheptane | 1 | 1 silver |
| Turinabol | 65 | 4 gold 16 silver* 14 bronze |
| Turinabol & Drostanolone | 1 | 1 silver |
| Turinabol & EPO | 1 | 1 bronze |
| Turinabol & Ipamorelin | 1 | 1 silver |
| Turinabol & Metabolite of 1-Testosterone, 1-Androstenedione or 1-Androstenediol | 1 | 1 silver |
| Turinabol & Oxandrolone | 1 | 1 gold |
| Turinabol & Stanozolol | 23 | 3 gold 4 silver 5 bronze |
| Turinabol & Tamoxifen | 1 | 1 silver 1 bronze |
| Turinabol, Metenolone & Stanozolol | 5 | 1 bronze |
| Use of prohibited substances and methods (self admission) | 1 | 1 gold |
| Use, Possession, Trafficking, Administration of Prohibited Substances and Methods and Assisting, Encouraging, Aiding, Abetting, Covering Up | 1 | 1 bronze |
*including 1 retained due to athlete’s death following year
Source: Wikipedia, “Doping at the Olympic Games,” wikipedia.org (accessed Dec. 15, 2021)
