Was Dieter Baumann the biggest distance running bust of all time?

Clearly one of the top stars who got caught doping. But the biggest bust?

Depends on how look at it. Baumann was never the fastest, while Boulami got his WR annulled, and so did Kiptum, both for blood doping. Ramzi lost Olympic gold due to blood doping, which was huuuuge back then.

One could also argue that Decker had a better career than Baumann, such as more global golds. Or Kipsang (WR, five major marathon wins).

If you include mid-distance, I think Ramzi and Kiprop were both bigger, since Baumann was 34 when he was busted and while he was still running well, his global medaling days were behind him.

Ngugi?

Possibly. Ben Johnson was a big one too as was Kiprop.

If we are talking about most widely known it's Ben Johnson and it's not even close. If "biggest bust" according to track fans it could be Kiprop.

My first thought was Kipsang when I saw the title of this thread.

In addition to the WR and the 5 Major wins, he is the only person to beat a "no excuses" Kipchoge in the Marathon. He probably should have also won the 2012 Olympic Marathon -- my recollection is that he went for it way too early and faded to third.

I believe it was Suzy Favor before she got her reduction.

there are no big distance running busts, and the only big sprint busts are Ben Johnson and Marion Jones.

That's all the public knows. And as far as track fans go, every bust is "big," but at the same time we all know most of the unbusted are just as guilty. So all the talk about them isn't quite sincere.

He said nandrolone was in his peanut butter.

Wasn't it in his toothpaste?

Also Regina Jacobs is an outstanding bust too. She retired because of it.

I think timing matters - Baumann, Kipsang, Kiprop all pretty washed by their busts. I’d go Ramzi because of that, though Lagat might be the winner had it stuck.

What about Regina? Give her some love. She got busted the same year she set a WR that still stands.

"Jacobs took second place in the 1500 m race at the 6th World Championships in Athletics in Athens (4:04.63) in 1997, and again won the silver medal in the 1500 m at the World Championships in Sevilla in 1999 (4:00.35). In her years of running she won 25 national titles. On February 1, 2003, at age 39 Jacobs set a world record in the indoor 1500 m with a time of 3:59.98, becoming the first woman to break 4 minutes in the event. Jacobs remains the only American woman to run under 4 minutes in the indoor 1500 meters and stands as the USATF American Indoor record holder in 2015."

In 2003, she retired after she tested positive for BALCO's 'designer' steroid THG and was suspended from competing in track & field for four years by the United States Anti-Doping Agency.

A WR at the time, it's still and American Record.

It was in his toothpaste and evidently in his son's as well.

...a known doper! 🤣

hell yeah

In the US is was clearly Shelby Houlihan. I can't believe she hasn't been mentioned.

+1

Sumgong got lucky. She kept her Olympic title, and got busted 1/2 year thereafter, but A) she already got busted a few years before and B) was already in that infamous doping group along with Kirwa and her husband during the Olympics.

And there is Savinova, who beat Semenya at 2011 Worlds and 2012 Olympics for Gold, and got DQ'd for both four years after the fact, also due to blood doping - the female Ramzi, so to speak.

Well, internationally she is no comparison to Kiprop and Kipsang etc. Plus she got lucky that she was never DQ'd for anything unlike the more spectacular busts of Ramzi and Savinova.