The 1988 men’s 100 meter final at Seoul was hyped as one of the great showdowns ever in an Olympics. The world’s two fastest human beings, American Carl Lewis and Canadian Ben Johnson — two men reportedly not fond of each other — would decide which one was the speedier in Korea, finally, after having repeatedly avoided confrontations in international track meets leading up to the Games.

There would be other runners in the 100 meter final — all world-class, obviously — but few fans took serious account of them. The world expected to see Lewis and Johnson duel it out over 100 meters, and there was the very real possibility that in something under ten seconds after the starter’s pistol sounded, the existing world record — Johnson’s 9.83 seconds — would be history.

Lewis had already achieved history by duplicating the feat of his idol, Jesse Owens, who had won four gold medals at the 1936 Olympics — in the 100 meters, 200 meters, 4 x 100 meter relay, and the long jump. Lewis had done the same at the 1984 Los Angeles Games, and now thought he had a chance to repeat his achievement in Seoul.

The speed of Johnson — muscle-bound as no world’s fastest human had ever been before — was dazzling, and there would be no greater satisfaction for him than to use it to beat Lewis, and get in the way of the American’s continuing pursuit of immortality.

In the final, the two men blazed down the track. They both looked extremely strong. But Lewis, almost never beaten at this distance, could not make up the yards between him and the front-running Johnson. As the Canadian broke the tape, having clearly bested his rival, he looked over at Lewis and glared as if to say, Take that.

The world record had been shattered. Johnson’s mark was a mind-numbing 9.79 seconds. Lewis had clocked 9.92.

But the story of the Seoul Olympic Games did not occur on the track. It occurred soon after the final, when it was reported that Johnson had tested positive for steroid use. He was stripped of his medal, his world record and, eventually, his previous world record. The scandal sent shock waves through Canada and the world, and inspired reforms in random drug testing of amateur athletes.

Lewis was given the gold medal. In 1991, he would again take possession of the 100 meter world record with a 9.86 seconds — not quite 9.79, or even 9.83, but then his 9.86 was streroid-free. The confrontation between Lewis and Johnson back in Seoul had been as dramatic as billed — yet no one knew, as they crouched in position, waiting for the gun to sound that day in 1988, that the real drama would come after the finish line had been crossed.