Steroid use by Olympic athletes has received a lot of attention from the media since Olympic drug testing began in 1968. But it appears that Americans are not buying the hype. Only 4 percent said they thought most Olympic athletes use steroids. Although high profile cases like that of Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson at the 1988 Seoul Games have brought steroid use into the spotlight, only 48 athletes have ever tested positive.
People know that steroid use has played a role at the Olympic games.
But I think this survey shows that Americans also realize that steroid use has not been as widespread as the publicity might lead us to believe. If steroid use did play a larger role in the Olympics, American interest in the games would decrease dramatically. Only 27 percent said they would have the same amount of interest if steroids were legal. Sports Poll Considered the industry standard for measuring fan interest and activity, The ESPN Sports Poll has provided intelligence to the sports industry for over six years. Sports Poll is conducted 363 days a year among U.S. residents ages 12 years and older.