For some athletes, the risk of losing—or even being less than the best—is worse than the many consequences of doping in professional sports, and for decades, performance-enhancing drug controversies have made headlines around the world. Other athletes have garnered media attention, criminal charges and sporting suspensions for their recreational drug use. Biography.com examines some of the world's greatest athletes to ever fall from fame, whose names have been tarnished by drugs scandals, including Barry Bonds, Jose Canseco, Marion Jones, Andre Agassi, Floyd Landis and Lance Armstrong.
They've sprinted, served, batted, slam-dunked and TKO'd their way into sports history. Sprinter Jesse Owens's Olympic triumphs put Hitler to shame. Basketball star Michael Jordan taught kids that they could fly. Gymnast Gabby Douglas showed that champions can come in pint-size packages, and Tiger Woods brought the game of golf to another level. Explore biographies of famous black athletes who broke records and barriers and, ultimately, captured our imaginations.
Whether for all their lives or for just a brief spell, these famous people have experienced the terror of epileptic fits.
They've sprinted, kicked, backflipped, triple-lutzed, and TKO'd their way into sports history. Learn more about notable female athletes such as Bonnie Blair, Hope Solo, Maria Sharapova, Venus Williams, and Jackie Joyner-Kersee.
Olympic medal winners have wowed us with their athleticism and determination and have made history with some of the most unforgettable moments in sports history. From Bruce Jenner's 1972 world record victory lap to Michael Phelps's astounding eight medal sweep at the 2008 Beijing Games, these champions have proven they have what it takes to be the best. Here's a look at some of the most well-known medal winners from past and present Olympic Games.
Take a look at famous people named Florence, such as Florence Joyner, Florence Harding, and Florence Mills.
View famous people who died in 1998 such as Frank Sinatra, Sonny Bono, and Akira Kurosawa.
Meet famous people such as Johnny Cash, Dorothy Dandridge, James Dean, Grace Kelly, Jimi Hendrix, and Steve Irwin, who died in the month of September.
Track and field, one of the oldest competitions in sports history, has turned out some of the most impressive all-around athletes through the ages. Champions like Jesse Owens, Carl Lewis and Jackie Joyner-Kersee have raced, jumped and thrown their way into the history books with record-setting achievements. Here are some of the legendary track and field stars that have made it to the top of their field.