 Doping has played a significant part in the modern history of track and field . State @-@ sponsored doping in East Germany with hormones and anabolic steroids marked the rise of women from the German Democratic Republic in track and field from the late 1960s to the 1980s . A number of these women , such as <unk> Koch , broke world records and were highly successful at international competitions . Some athletes , who were following a doping plan from their teenage years , suffered significant health problems as a result of the regime . Ben Johnson ran a new world record in the 100 metres at the 1988 Seoul Olympics but was later banned for using anabolic steroids . In the mid @-@ first decade of the 21st century , the <unk> Scandal eventually resulted in the downfall of prominent sprinters such as Marion Jones and Tim Montgomery , among others , through their usage of banned substances . Doping problems have also been associated with sprinters such as Tyson Gay , Michael Rogers , and Justin <unk> , all from the United States . Doping has also affected entire nations , such as Russia , which has been banned from competing at both the Indoor World Championships and the Olympics in 2016 . This ban was imposed in 2016 after major allegations of doping and covering up were discovered in 2015 . 
