Written by Peter McGough
21 April 2016

16bbblackest-day

Bodybuilding's Blackest Day

Drug Busts Decimate the 1990 Mr. O Line-Up

 

The 1990 Mr. Olympia contest staged at the Arie Crown Theater, Chicago on Saturday September 15th of that year, is so far the only Olympia where the competitors underwent testing for anabolic steroids. In March of that year the Arnold Classic was the first IFBB pro show to undergo drug testing and it was a PR disaster as four of the 13 competitors failed the drug test. The four were Shawn Ray, Ralf Moeller, Nimrod King and Samir Bannout. What made it even worse was that the athletes were tested on the day of the contest and the drug test results didn’t come back until four days later. Therefore there was the messy embarrassment of Shawn Ray, announced as the winner on the day of the contest, having to return his $60,000 check and trophy, with Mike Ashley – runner-up on the day – being installed as the 1990 Arnold Classic champion.

To avoid such a debacle it was decided that for the September’s Olympia the test samples would be taken three days before the contest on Wednesday, September 12th, with results being available on Friday, 24 hours prior to the battle for that year’s Olympia. Thus there would be no Arnold repeat of placings being revoked and checks being returned. Everyone who competed on Saturday would have passed the drug test.

THE LONG GOOD BAD FRIDAY

Friday September 14th was a day of waiting, followed by responding to, and checking out, dark rumors of drug test failures; of approaching, diffidently, the suspected casualties, before finally coming to terms with the fact that the 1990 Olympia was disintegrating in front of one's bifocals, and that the real story of that year's contest was not assigned to take place at the spectacular Arie Crown Theatre in 24 hours but was happening now!

Throughout the day the lobby of the McCormack Hotel, the contest’s HQ, was a seething maelstrom of Olympia competitors, other well-known spectating competitors, families, officials, personnel from bodybuilding companies, press, and some whose interests were unclear; in fact in more than one instance of their gender was unclear!

Checking in was Tom Platz in Madison Avenue threads; although his new sartorial style couldn't hide the reality that, under the mohair, the contours were more sizeable and harder than had been the case on his visit to Britain earlier in the year. Tom had entered the Olympia circus many times to do the business, and today was no exception. Only this time round he came prepared to do business, not armed with a training bag, but instead favored a briefcase, on behalf of his new employers, Vince McMahon’s WWE organization. The Golden Eagle was there ostensibly to launch McMahon’s new bodybuilding magazine Bodybuilding Lifestyles. Rumors of McMahon starting his own bodybuilding federation were denied.

Mike Christian held court in the lobby, a sleeveless tank top uncovering a monstrously vascular pair of arms Mike was making public psyche-out moves.

POSITIVE RUMOURS?

Around 3.30pm began the murmurings that there had been drug failures. With the official, head- in-the-sand policy being that no public announcement would be made, it was Sherlock Holmes time.

At 3.45pm Mike Quinn was seen exchanging words with NPC president Jim Manion. Shuffling in closer I heard Mike tell Jim, “It's not right!” Was the mighty one out of the contest?

I caught Mike’s attention by producing the October front cover of Health & Strength the British magazine I worked for at the time, which featured his image. Perusing the shots he pointed out, “Yeah, I was leaner and harder there.” His tone giving the impression that he wished he and the image, taken 12 months previously, could swap places. Before I could ask him anything Mike was swallowed up by a crowd of fans, eager for their hero’s autograph.

Shortly after this famed Canadian photographer Garry Bartlett went up to the room of Olympia promoter Wayne DeMilia to secure his press pass. Whilst there Garry, propitiously, heard that five Olympians had failed the test. Returning to the lobby Garry whispered to me that the five who failed the test were Berry DeMey, Mohamed Benaziza, J.J.Marsh, Van Walcott Smith and Vince Taylor. It was to be several hours before it became clear that the disqualified Vince actually bore the surname, Comerford and not the appendage Taylor. Which explains the rather confusing conversation I had with Mr. Taylor before the mistake was rectified.

Me: "How you feeling?”

Vince: “Tired, it's been a tough year !”

Me "Will you still do the European tour starting next week?”

Vince: "I don't know I need to straighten a few things out !”

Me: “The European events aren't drug tested?”

Venice: “Er… Yeah, I know.”

Me: “Did you have any doubts that today might be a problem for you?”

Vince: “I'm always restless the day before a contest -- today's been kinda normal.”

Me “Really!

Sometimes you can be intrepid, other times you can just be a jerk! In the end Vince, who was heavily favored for a top placing in the wake of his third place Olympia debut the year before, pulled out of the contest due to cramping as the prejudging was taking place, and he didn’t do the European tour.

TESTY TIMES

There had been much chest thumping in the days and weeks before the contest glorifying that at last bodybuilding would become drug free. On Friday that dream fell apart. The brutal truth is that, out of a field of 20 of the sport’s most experienced and knowledgeable competitors a failure rate of five (25%) was disastrous. Absorb the reality that the remaining 15 (as we would learn later) were not at their best and professional bodybuilding seemed to be facing an even bigger crisis than when Bob Birdsong announced his comeback, complete with extended Ghostbusters routine.

Of the failures, four were found positive for Winstrol, the chemical athletes Achilles heel, and if it can catch the heel of Ben Johnson at the 1988 Olympics, it can catch anybody's. The other failure was due to elevated testosterone levels. That finding was attributed to Vince Comerford, which made him one unhappy 5’4”, 180-pound bodybuilder, but pleased his girlfriend tremendously.

If Friday, 14th September 1990, was a black day for bodybuilding, it was a blacker day for the disqualified athletes. When the dreaded news was broken to the five concerned, tears were a feature of some of their responses, anger and histrionics weren’t.

It says much for the character of the five eliminated Olympians that they were able to talk constructively at a time when 12 months training had just been – like the samples – flushed away. The only exception to this was J.J. Marsh, which is not an illustration of his reticence, more an admission that I couldn't find him.

Van Walcott Smith ( lightweight winner of the 1989 drug tested Amateur World Championships) shrugged his shoulders and was content to say, "I'm glad that I have the European Grand Prix tour to look forward to, otherwise all the work of the last few months would have been a waste of time”.

Van appeared a little embarrassed at his predicament, but seemed to take some encouragement from the reassurances that, the reaction from the remaining Olympians was, “There but for the grace of God go I". And that as far as the fans and press were concerned, there was no personal antagonism, it was more the sentiment of, “What the hell are they doing to this sport?”

Vince Comerford, like his hairstyle wasn't afraid to stand up and be counted: "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.”

Mohammed Benaziza (lightweight winner of the 1987 drug tested Amateur World Championships) was actually shown in the Olympia program advertising a supplement billed as “A replacement for steroids”. The banner headline for the ad read, THE STEROID SOLUTION. Unfortunately, the steroid solution uppermost in Mohammed's mind at this point was Winstrol. Undeterred the Algerian didn't hide away, but decided that as he wasn't going to compete the next day, he might as well get down to the gym for a heavy training session as the first event on the European Grand Prix tour was only week away.

Through an interpreter, Mohammed explained that he was very fastidious about all aspects of nutrition and dietary aids. He said he had been fully confident of passing the test. When confronted as to what went wrong, he responded with the international body language movement of shrugging the shoulders. He confirmed he would accept the result, and wouldn't be kicking up any sort of fuss.

DEMEY: DON’T BERRY HIM YET!

Berry DeMey was a different kettle of high protein tuna fish; he almost insisted on being quoted word for word: “Of course I'm upset," he said, "when you hear the day before the show that you can't compete, and you know, really know, that you're in top condition, then you're bound to be upset. But although I am out of the competition tomorrow, I will be lodging an appeal because I just can’t accept the drug result.”

Berry outlined his cause for concern: “They said that in my sample they found Stanozolol (chemical name for Winstrol). The last time I touched Stanozolol was way back at the end of last year, which if it was traced in my sample after such a long time must be some sort of record. I'm asking for further investigation because I have my doubts about the accuracy of the test. I’ve spoken already to Dr. Jim Wright (renowned sports doctor and author of Anabolic Steroids and Sport) and explained exactly what I have done over the last year, and he agreed it would have been almost impossible for the result to come out the way it did. I'm sure that those carrying out the tests were honest in their conclusions. But what many people don't realize is that a test result is based on how somebody interprets the analysis of the sample. Deciding whether a sample is positive or negative, is not a black-and-white issue."

The California-based Dutchman went on to say, "I have my doubts because earlier on I'd heard that everybody had had their results, and I hadn't heard anything. So I called the lab and asked them about my result. Their first answer was, ‘We saw something but we don't know what it is.’ Two hours later I called back, and they identified that something as Stanozolol. One month ago I went through the same test, with the same doctor, at the same lab and there was no trace of Stanozolol. So I've just got to have my doubts about this result, although it is too late for it to be overturned in time for tomorrow."

Asked about his future competitive plans, Berry verified that he hadn't originally planned to take part in the European Grand Prix tour, “But I've now decided to do just the Dutch Grand Prix [where he finished fourth], so I can show the physique I’ve worked on to my own people."

“And after that?”

“The Arnold Classic next March.”

“Which will be drug tested?”

He threw back his head and laughing loudly said, “Yeah, I thought I was okay this time. All I can say is, there's another six months before the Arnold, and hell, I should be clean by then.” (Eventually Berry didn’t do the 1991 Arnold, which wasn’t drug tested anyway.)

Of all the athletes pronounced positive, Berry DeMey was the most visible and open throughout the weekend. For instance, at the next day’s prejudging, within earshot of scores of people, I heard Berry, in reply to a Japanese reporter’s query of why he wasn't on stage, say, “Because I failed the drug test!”

AND THEN ANOTHER HAMMER BLOW

At the competitors meeting (closed to the press) that evening, the reduced gathering of 15 Olympians were formally told the results of the drug test. They were also instructed that any IFBB professional taking part in the activities of any other organization (no specific association was named) would be suspended. Say what?

Say what indeed. As previously stated there had been rumblings that Vince McMahon was about to launch his own pro bodybuilding federation. Sure enough at the conclusion of Saturday night’s contest, which saw a lighter than normal Lee Haney winning his seventh Sandow, representatives from Bodybuilding Lifestyles went around the pres pit handing out flyers that confirmed that they were launching the World Bodybuilding Federation (WBF) and that top IFBB pros would be invited to join the organization. In fact in January 1991 at a glitzy Plaza Hotel press conference in New York, McMahon presented the 13 competitors who he had signed to the WBF. They were: Aaron Baker, Mike Christian, Vince Comerford, David Dearth, Berry DeMey, Johnnie Morant, Danny Padilla, Tony Pearson, Jim Quinn, Mike Quinn, Eddie Robinson, Gary Strydom, and Troy Zuccolotto.

The bottom line from the Chicago storyline was that the rise of the WBF (which disbanded in1992) who were handing out mega-bucks contracts and the fact that most of the 1990 Olympians were far from their best combined to put anabolic steroid testing on the back burner and there it has stayed for 26 years now. But what a hell of a weekend that was to report on.

1990 MR. OLYMPIA: FULL RESULTS

1 - Lee Haney

2 - Lee Labrada

3 - Shawn Ray

4 - Mike Christian

5 - Rich Gaspari

6 - Francis Benfatto

7 - Frank Hillebrand

8 - Samir Bannout

9 - Andreas Munzer

10 - Eddie Robinson

11 - Mike Quinn

12 - Ron Love

13 - Jean-Luc Favre

14 - Bernard Sealy

(Vince Taylor withdrew during prejudging due to severe cramping.)

 

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