Michel Hénault

Sports journalist Michel Hénault joined the French news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP) in 1955 and would work for the organisation for the rest of his life. In 1980 Hénault was awarded with the Olympic Order in Bronze.

Hénault worked in New York as a sports correspondent and reporter from 1965 to 1980 before working in Buenos Aires for the next five years. One of the biggest scoops he had with AFP was the story of the disqualification of Ben Johnson in the 100 metres final at the 1988 Seoul Olympics. After hearing a rumour about Johnson’s doping, Hénault confirmed the story via Alexandre, Prince de Merode, who was presiding over the IOC’s Medical Commission at the time. Hénault also broke the story for AFP of Diego Maradona’s failed drug test at the 1994 FIFA World Cup.