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Very Bad Medicine

Andreea Raducan of Romania flipped her way to a gold medal in the all-around gymnastics competition. Fans compared her to Romanian legend Nadia Comaneci, who got a perfect 10 at the 1976 Games. Now Raducan's name will be linked to scandal, not perfection.

Gymnast Andreea Raducan, 17, before her gold was taken away

The International Olympic Committee took away Raducan's gold medal when a test found a drug called pseudoephedrine (soo-doe-eh-fed-rin) in her system. Raducan's doctor had given her a cold medicine containing it. The gymnast says she wasn't trying to improve her performance, she had a cold. But the ingredient is among the many drugs that Olympic athletes are forbidden to use.

The presence of drugs cast a shadow over the 2000 Olympics. As of Friday, five athletes had been disqualified for using banned substances. Some weight lifters take drugs that increase their size and strength. There are chemicals that help runners and swimmers perform better for a longer time. Such drug taking is considered cheating, and the Olympic officials are working to wipe it out.

But players and coaches say the medical tests for drug use aren't always reliable or fair. Some athletes who tested positive for tiny amounts of drugs denied using them and were later cleared. Everyone hopes the system for keeping drugs out of the Games will improve. That doesn't make it easier for Raducan, who lost the top spot in her sport. "In my soul," she says, "I know that was my place."

Next: Hollywood Showdown