The Senegal national football side has just been stripped of the Africa Cup of Nations.
The decision, following misconduct in the tournament final, is controversial but far from unique. It is only the latest example in a string of sporting titles or results being changed.
Ben Johnson 1988
Canada’s Ben Johnson shocked the world with a record-breaking time of 9.79secs in the final of the 100m sprint to secure the gold medal at the Olympics in 1988.
His performance was the talk of the Games – but just three days later, his reputation was in tatters.
The International Olympic Committee said a sample from the athlete had tested positive for steroids and he had been stripped of his title and disqualified from the Games.
American sprinter Carl Lewis was instead awarded the title for his new American record of 9.92secs in what was one of the most controversial chapters in top-level sport.
Gold medal overturned 18 months on
This week has also seen another result overturned – 18 months after it was recorded.
Adaejah Hodge, a sprinter from the British Virgin Islands, picked up gold in the 200m of the 2024 junior world athletics championships in Peru.
Samples taken from the runner found banned substances – GW501516 sulfone and GW501516 sulfoxide.
The Athletics Integrity Unit agreed she had not taken them intentionally. But she was handed a two-year ban, with seven months suspended.
It meant she lost her 200m title from August 2024. It was awarded instead to Australia’s Torrie Lewis.
Arsenal-Sheffield United FA Cup controversy
The Gunners beat Sheffield United 2-1 in an FA Cup fifth round tie at Highbury in 1999 – but in controversial circumstances.
The Blades kicked the ball out of play to allow a player to receive treatment. But after the resulting throw-in, Arsenal didn’t return possession and instead broke up field for Marc Overmars to score the winning goal.
The furore over the incident gripped the sporting headlines, and Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger ended up offering United the chance to wipe the result and replay the tie.
Ten days later the match was played again at Highbury. It ended with the same result – a 2-1 victory for Arsenal.
Bundesliga result changed
In December 2024, Bochum and Union Berlin drew 1-1 in the German Bundesliga.
But after a bad tempered game, Bochum protested about the result due to their goalkeeper Patrick Drewes needing lengthy treatment when he was hit by a lighter thrown from the crowd.
Drewes did not play on. That left Bochum putting striker Philipp Hoffman in goal as they had already used their substitutes.
Both teams failed to launch any meaningful attacks and the game ended in a draw. But the German Football Association later awarded the game to Bochum, recording a 2-0 victory.
A court later upheld the move despite an appeal from Berlin.
Tour de France cyclist loses titles
Lance Armstrong was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles and banned from cycling for life, the US Anti-Doping Agency announced in 2012.
It came after the American cyclist said he was dropping his fight against the agency’s charges that he used performance-enhancing drugs to win the most prestigious event in the sport from 1999 to 2005.
The USADA claimed the cyclist used banned substances including the blood-booster EPO and steroids, as well as blood transfusions.
Armstrong had insisted he was innocent and sued in a federal court to block the charges, but lost.
