David Jenkins

Already a multiple Scottish champion at 100 m, 200 m and 400 m, David Jenkins was still just nineteen when he made his name by winning an unexpected victory at the 1971 European Championships. Running in an outside lane he blasted off maniacally and then just held off the threat of Italy’s Marcello Fiasconaro. He narrowly missed the Olympic final in Munich but had the consolation of a silver medal behind Kenya in the relay.

Jenkins added another European gold in 1974 in the relay though he failed to defend his individual title and he left the 1974 Commonwealth without a medal of any colour. His best time was recorded in 1975 when he scored a rare British success at the US National Championship and in doing so became the first Briton to break 45 seconds for the event. A contender for Olympic honours in Montreal he did reach the final but faded to seventh in the home stretch whilst his hopes of another relay medal were ended with a dropped baton in the heats.

More often injured than healthy in the four years before Moscow he did at least win a Commonwealth Games gold medal with the Scottish sprint relay team in 1978 but it was a surprise when he returned to form in time for the 1980 Olympics. He participated in his second Olympic final where again he placed seventh, but only made fleeting appearances over the next two seasons and elected to retire at the end of 1982.

He returned to public attention and notoriety five years later. Jenkins, who had lived in California for many years, was revealed as one of the masterminds behind a smuggling operation that at one time was reported as being responsible for 70% of the steroids trafficked into the USA. The scheme involved the setting up of a production facility in Mexico. He also disclosed that he himself had used steroids for the latter part of his career. Sentenced to seven years in prison he served just nine months and after his release set up a dietary supplement company with another convicted drug felon Dan Duchaine . Duchaine, the self-styled “Steroid Guru” was an outspoken proponent of the use of drugs in sport and was credited with popularising the use of such illegal substances as GHB (4-Hydroxybutanoic acid) and Clenbuterol in American sport. After Duchaine’s death Jenkins became CEO of the company and is reportedly a multi-millionaire.

Personal Best: 400 – 44.93 (1975).