Throwback Thursday | Nasser El Sonbaty Fails 1996 Mr. O Drug Test
THROWBACK THURSDAY
Nasser Fails 1996 Mr. O Drug Test
Following the IFBB initiative to implement diuretic testing at the 1996 Olympia Weekend in Chicago on September 20 and 21st, the results were made official on Monday, October 14, 1996. Of the 48 athletes competing in the four Olympia contests (men and women’s bodybuilding, Masters men and women’s Fitness) only third placed Mr. O contestant Nasser El Sonbaty tested positive. Therefore he forfeited his placing and the accompanying $30,000 prize money. The Mr. Olympia competitors who originally placed below Nasser were, for the record books, moved up one place and received the appropriate cash prize.
Nasser returned to LA from a guest spot in Japan on Tuesday, October 15, to be given the news and shortly afterward told me, “I am not going to make any excuses or be a crybaby about this. The truth is in the week before the Mr. Olympia major doubts existed in a lot of people's minds as to whether the test would be fully implemented. I made my decision to do what I normally do for contests -- what everybody does for every other contest -- early in the week before the Olympia. I had trained all year with 100% commitment to winning the Mr. Olympia title, and with doubts surrounding the test, I didn't want to leave anything to chance. By the time of the Wednesday night competitors meeting, when it became clear that the test would be for real, it was too late for me to change course. The torpedo had been fired and I couldn't turn it back. [In general diuretics are detectable for up to 72 hours after they are taken.]
That the torpedo had indeed been fired was fully in evidence at the competitor’s meeting as he left the gathering several times to visit the little boys room – a term somewhat incompatible with his 265 pound frame.
He continued, “Since the news of my testing positive was made public I have been told that other competitors are now saying I placed higher than them solely because of diuretics. If that is so can they answer me this question: If diuretics were responsible for me finishing third at the Olympia, ahead of other guys who did the subsequent European tour, how come they didn't catch up with me and beat me on the tour where diuretic testing did not take place? [See footnote]. I beat them on the tour even though I had to deal with the head games my conscience gave me as I came to terms with the knowledge, even before the tests results were announced, that I would lose my Olympia placing.
“I absolutely accept the decision. The 1996 Mr. Olympic contest is over and I lost my placing and $30,000. I am not going to cry, complain, or make excuses, my job now is to focus on my next contest, the 1997 Arnold Classic.”
Footnote: On the six-contest 1996 European tour, Nasser won three (Dorian Yates won the other three) was third in one, and second in the other two. The only other 1996 Olympian to finish ahead of him in those six events was Paul Dillett, who was second to Yates at the Spanish Grand Prix.
Postscript: At the 1997 Arnold Classic Nasser was second to Flex Wheeler. At that year’s Olympia he was second to Yates. He remained a top competitor through 1999, but then his star began to fade and he ended his career with 14th place at the 2005 Europa Supershow. Tragically he passed away on March 20, 2013. For his obituary click here.