#4 Michelle Smith (Ireland)
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The Irish swimmer was the surprise package of the 1996 Atlanta games, where she was singlehandedly responsible for Ireland’s best ever medals tally at an Olympiad, grabbing 3 gold medals. This came as a surprise to many in the world of swimming as just 3 years to that day, she had never finished in the top 25 in any swimming event in the world.
The sudden rise of the Irish girl prompted many to speculate, and accusations of doping and use of performance-enhancing drugs were laid upon the swimmer. No concrete evidence was found proving the same immediately, but two years later, a random urine test proved to be her downfall.
She was banned from swimming by FINA after a ruling proved that she had tampered with her urine sample which was taken from her home. A four-year ban at the age of 28 proved to be the end of her career and indeed her legacy in the world of swimming.
