大象传媒

Prior to the 1983 Pan American Games in Caracas Venezuela, the issue of sports doping was largely flying under the American public鈥檚 radar. But when 19 athletes are found positive for using banned substances at the games, steroids are thrust into focus. And a stigma starts to grow.

At the same time, authorities are cracking down on the manufacture of one of the most popular anabolics in the bodybuilding community - dianabol. It鈥檚 the perfect setting for a black market boom.

Enter William Dillon, Dan Duchaine and an entrepreneurial British ex Olympic track champion named David Jenkins who turn the steroid drought into an opportunity. Together, they supercharge their steroid operation.

In Episode 3 of Muscle Men, historian, podcaster and fitness expert Natalia Mehlman Petrzela looks at the evolution of the use of steroids in sports, from its early days in the Soviet Union鈥檚 sports programme, to its rise to the highest levels of international sport.

Featuring former bodybuilder William Dillon; Professor of Sports Studies at Stirling College-Chengdu University, Daniel Rosenke; and former Olympic weightlifter and weightlifting coach Michael Cohen.

Presenter and Executive Producer: Natalia Mehlman Petrzela
Producer: Caroline Thornham
Assistant Producer: Mohamed Ahmed
Editor: Katherine Godfrey
Production Manager: Cheree Houston
Sound Design and Mix by Daniel Kempson
Original Music by SilverHawk, aka Cyrille Poirier
Executive Producer: Max O鈥橞rien
Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke

A Novel production for 大象传媒 Radio 4

Featuring clips from:
Britain鈥檚 Hopes for Munich - Associated Press Archive, AP Television
CBS Evening News report on the Pan American Games - CBS News

Episodes are released weekly on Mondays. If you鈥檙e in the UK, you can listen to the latest episode, a week early, first on 大象传媒 Sounds https://bbc.in/3ybDcHO

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