You almost have to admire the chutzpah of the Soviet modern pentathlete Boris Onischenko. He left the 1976 Montreal Olympics in disgrace when it was discovered that during the épée part of the competition, he’d equipped his sword with a button that allowed him to trigger the electronic scoring system at will. Newspapers labeled him “Disonischenko” and “Boris the Cheat,” while the U.S.S.R.’s volleyball team threatened to throw him out of a hotel window if their paths crossed. The real shame of it was that Onischenko was a truly talented athlete who’d already earned his country a gold at the previous games, in Munich. As a result, the rules of the sport changed, banning grips that could hide wires or switches. It’s been said that Onischenko was banished to the Siberian salt mines, but that has never been confirmed.
Top 10 Sporting Cheats
Up until recently, Floyd Landis was in a lengthy legal battle to recover his 2006 Tour de France victory, lost after a test showed he had elevated levels of synthetic testosterone in his blood. That ended this month after Landis sent e-mails to cycling officials copping to the test results. TIME looks at other notable athletic cheaters.