The bodybuilding sport requires athletes to display physiques with well-defined muscles to win the prestigious Mr. Olympia trophy. But over the years, the bodybuilders redefined the musculature, raising the curtains to the mass-monster era. The athletes started competing on both size and muscle dimensions with no boundaries in the Open Category. However, the body gains of these sportsmen who are competing for the Sandow trophy are not natural. 

The retired bodybuilding icon Iain Valliere recently testified it, saying, “Especially in men’s open bodybuilding, there’s absolutely nobody up there that is not taking PEDs, unfortunately.”

Anabolic steroids came into existence in the 1930s to help athletes grow muscles and enhance performance. Bodybuilders started using them in the 1950s to improve their physiques. Legendary bodybuilders like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sergio Oliva have also come out clean of taking PEDs during their prime. 

But by the 1980s, steroid usage was rampant, and the IFBB had to allow only bodybuilders with natural gains at the 1990 Mr. Olympia, given the political environment at that time. That year, Mr. Olympia is considered one of the most controversial bodybuilding events as five bodybuilders tested positive for drugs and were not allowed to compete that year. 

The Drug Testing Drama at Mr. Olympia 1990

Lee Haney appeared to match Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Mr. Olympia record in 1990. However, the competitors on the roster had to go through a test for steroids before competing. The Mr. Olympia occurred at the Arie Crown Theatre, Chicago, on September 15th, 1990.

Earlier that year, the Arnold Classic required bodybuilders to undergo testing. But it resulted in a disaster as Shawn Ray had to return his title, trophy, and cash prize after winning the show. It is because the competition bodybuilders’ samples were collected on the day of the contest, but the results came after three days. 

Four of thirteen competitors tested positive, including the freshly crowned Shawn Ray. So, once the results were out, he had to give up his win, and the runner-up, Mike Ashley, was crowned as the new Arnold Classic champion that year. The other three who failed the test during the Arnold Classic event were Ralf Moeller, Samir Bannout, and Nimrod King. 

So, not to repeat such embarrassment, Mr. Olympia’s management decided to test athletes three days ahead of the event. The results would be there a day before the final event, and only qualified candidates could compete at the prestigious show. So, who all failed the drug test in Mr. Olympia, 1990?

Bodybuilders who were disqualified for steroids in 1990 Mr. Olympia

Twenty bodybuilding champions were eligible to compete at the 1990 Mr. Olympia. Their urine sample was collected on September 12th, three days ahead of the event, and sent to IOC’s chosen laboratory. However, the public and press were not informed about the drugs that were looked for, in the test samples.

Five out of twenty competitors who failed the drug test include, Van Walcott Smith, Berry DeMey, J.J.Marsh, Mohammed Benaziz, and Vince Comerford. And the elite bodybuilding journalist Peter McGough reported that bodybuilders who qualified for the test were in their worst condition. But Lee Haney lifted his seventh Sandow trophy, equaling the legend Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Mr. Olympia record. 

“I’m pretty down about the whole thing, especially to fail on an elevated testosterone level. What the hell, I could have tested an hour later and passed. This drug testing is such a hit-and-miss affair that they are just going to have to sort it out,” said Vince Comerford in anguish. Berry DeMey, however, didn’t hide away from reality, and when asked by a reporter why he wasn’t on the stage, honestly replied, “Because I failed the drug test.” But why did Joe Weider have to perform drug testing in 1990, when the bodybuilders have been competing on PEDs since the 1970s?

The policy reforms in America surrounding steroid usage in the late 1980s 

The American government in the 1980s wanted to crack down on the steroid chain, and there were policy changes accordingly. The Anabolic Steroids Control Act was introduced in the U.S. Congress to regulate the usage of class III-controlled substances. It would be an offense to carry drugs without a doctor’s prescription, as per the act.

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Though the act was implemented as law in 1991 after President George H.W. Bush consented to it, the bodybuilding community knows what to do to portray itself as a clean sport. Hence, elite competitions in the arena started performing drug tests, including Mr. Olympia. But do bodybuilders who didn’t test positive are natty in status?

Will passing a drug test make bodybuilders Natty?

Not really! The drug test requires the bodybuilders to give blood and drug samples to quantify the PEDs in them. However, oral steroids that will be flushed out of the system within days will not be appropriately quantified in the samples. And many believe that other bodybuilders opted for such a mechanism. What about the current Mr. Olympia championship?

The case of 2023 Mr. Olympia?

It is not unknown that the present cutthroat competition requires bodybuilders to use PEDs. But a drug test this year is not at all anticipated. With the Mr. Olympia 2023 in a couple of days, fans are more excited to witness the mass battle than to delve into the PEDs’ concerns for another week. Don’t you agree? Let us know in the comments below.

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