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Ben Johnson ad draws criticism from anti-doping officials

Disraced Olympic sprinter Ben Johnson starred in an ad for an Australian sports-betting website that upset Australia’s anti-doping agency.

The Canadian Johnson won the 1988 Olympic 100m but was stripped of gold three days later, having tested positive for the banned anabolic steroid stanozolol.

In the 90-second ad published last week, Johnson “makes light of the use of performance enhancing drugs in sport and sends the completely wrong message that the use of drugs in sport is normal,” the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Agency (ASADA) said in a statement.

The ad lists Johnson as the 1988 Olympic 100m champion (for 48 hours*).